Las Vegas
by 2naley
Summary: Nathan and Haley have been best friends their whole lives.  Sorry, I suck at summaries!  Just read and let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I'm back with a new story. This is obviously a Naley again since they are my favorite couple. This is an AU, although there may be references to the actual show. I got the idea for this story from the show Las Vegas. It used to be one of my favorites. It has a similar concept and similar storylines to that show with my own OTH twist to it. I hope you guys enjoy this one as well.**

Nathan Scott layed back as the red-headed vixon rode him hard and fast. He closed his eyes in pleasure-and because he had no desire to actually look at her. Rachel was good for sex. That's all she was to him. He wasn't looking for a relationship. She knew this about him and accepted it. He knew that Rachel wanted more from him, though. She acted as if she truly cared for him, but in honestly, all she cared about was his money.

Nathan lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born and raised and lived here his whole life. Everyone in town knew who he was. He worked for the most popular casino resort in town in surveillance and security-the eyes and ears of Vegas. These guys heard everything, and they mean everything. They could contest to why Vegas was known as Sin City.

Just as he was about to reach his peak, the door swung open. Nathan whipped his head around Rachel's body to stare into the irrate eyes of Dan Scott. The two scrambled out of the bed while throwing on some clothes. "What the hell is going on in here?" Dan's voice boomed loudly.

"It's called sex." Nathan bit out sarcastically while laughing.

"Watch it, Nathan!" Dan warned. "This is my casino, and I will not tolerate this! And you..." Dan began turning his attention towards Rachel. "I believe you're still on the clock. Get back down stairs to work or I will fire your ass!" He threatened as she made a quick exit. He turned back towards Nathan who was smirking at him. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Nathan. Rachel? Seriously? How long has this been going on?" He asked.

"Relax, dad. It's only been a couple weeks. We're just having fun." Nathan dismissed.

"No, I don't think so. That girl is nothing but trouble. She only wants your money. You do get that, don't you?" Dan questioned.

"Yes, dad, I get that. This is just sex, and she knows that. I'm not falling for her, and I'm not falling into her plans." Nathan responded.

"So, you're using her." Dan retorted as Nathan simply nodded. "This is ridiculous, Nathan. You're done with her. Find some other slut to occupy your time with. I don't give a damn who as long as she's not one of my employees. And not in my hotel. You understand me?" He said.

"Loud and clear." Nathan said sarcastically.

Dan rolled his eyes in annoyance before turning to walk out of the hotel suite. Just before he reached the door, he turned back around. "By the way, Haley is arriving home tomorrow. We're having a family dinner tomorrow night at Aureole around six." He informed.

"Haley's coming home?" Nathan questioned confused. The second he heard Haley's name, a wave of emotions passed through his body.

"She didn't tell you?" Dan stated as his son shook his head. "Sometimes that girl makes me so proud." Dan chuckled as Nathan shot him a glare. "Well, she is coming home. She's going to be staying with your mother and me until she finds a place of her own. So, are you guys fighting?" He asked.

"No." Nathan bit out.

"Really? Well, then, why didn't she tell you she was coming home? Usually that's information you share with your best friend." Dan taunted.

Haley James. She was the first girl he ever kissed. Fourth grade behind the swings. They were both curious and used one another to experiment. She's been Nathan's best friend since they were born. They were inseperable. Deb Scott, Nathan's mother, and Lydia James, Haley's mother, were best friends. They met after Dan and Deb married one another and settled in Las Vegas. Deb and Lydia were still in college and attending the University of Nevada Las Vegas. They quickly became friends. A few years later, they both discovered they were pregnant with Deb just a couple months ahead. Nathan was born on March 21, 1986. Both he and Deb were as healthy as can be. Haley was born on May 29, 1986. Haley was as healthy as can be. However, Lydia died from hemorraging during childbirth. Deb became sort of a surragate mother to Haley.

"Maybe she wants to surprise me." Nathan retorted.

"Yeah, that's it." Dan laughed before disappearing from the room. Nathan huffed in aggravation before taking a seat on the now vacant bed. He couldn't believe Haley was coming home. When they were eighteen, he left to go to the military. He never even told her he was leaving. He said goodbye to her in his own way the night before but snuck away the next morning without even a goodbye. A year after he left, his mother informed him she left for Stanford.

Haley was a genius. She had a very rough childhood and stuck her nose in the books because of it. She believed that she could earn her degree and put her whole past behind her. She was always correcting him with his grammar. As irritating as it was, he loved it. That's who she was. She was this girl next door with a heart of gold. She was a good girl. She went with him to some parties but never drank. She graduated as their class valedictorian, and she tutored other kids in her spare time. She was a virgin all through high school. She believed in waiting until she was married or at least in love before giving away what she considered the most precious part of her.

Nathan was like the polar opposite of Halay. He was an average student and often sought help from her with his studies. He was the king of their high school. He was captain of the basketball teams and the hottest guy in school. Every guy wanted to be like him and every girl wanted to be with him. He slept around and became the quintessential "manwhore" of the 2005 class. He was cocky and arrogant. He treated everyone like they were beneath him-everyone but Haley.

Nathan and Haley were the odd "couple" of their high school. Nobody understood their friendship, but they didn't have to. Nathan and Haley were best friends despite their reputations. Everyone knew not to mess with Haley. Nathan proved that when they were freshmen. Damien West-the typical jock and Nathan's basketball rival-sat in the library making fun of her one day. He had heard about their friendship and thought it was a crock. He wanted to prove to everyone that Nathan would have dropped his friendship with that girl to keep his popularity status. Boy was he wrong. Nathan walked in and witnessed the whole scene. He felt complete rage pulsate through his body when he saw the tears streaming down her face. He rushed over to them and in not even a second, Damien was down on the ground holding his nose as blood was pouring from it. That was the day that everyone learned to never mess with Haley James ever again. That was the day, everyone knew nothing could break the bond between them.

Nathan received a letter from Haley just a few months after he heard word that she left for Stanford. He wrote back to her, and that soon became their form of comminication for the past six years. They've talked to one another over the phone a few times. But they haven't seen one another in person in six years. Six years too long in Nathan's opinion. He knows she's still hurt and upset with him for what he did, but he knew she forgave him. That's who she was. She wasn't one to hold grudges and be vindictive. He remembered exactly what he felt when he received that first letter from her. He was excited, nervous, relieved, and upset all at the same time. He wasn't upset with her but with himself. Memories of that night came flooding back to him. He wanted to write her or call her to explain. He wanted to, but he couldn't. He couldn't even explain it to himself.

He still couldn't believe she was finally coming back home. He missed her so much. Aside from his parents, she was the one constant in his life. She was the one person who understand him more than anyone else. He needed her in his life. He honestely didn't know how he has survived the past six years without her. She was his everything. He just prayed that things would be able to get back to normal between them once she arrived back in town.

* * *

><p>Nathan stepped off of the elevator and walked through the casino floor. He looked over and saw Peyton Sawyer. She was the best pit boss in Vegas-possibly the world. She was all business when it came to her job. She was known as the Ice Queen. She was bitchy and didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her. She caught his eye and gave him a smile. To her friends, she was just known as Peyton. Underneath that cold-hearted exterior, she was friendly and loveable. She was just this punk-rock girl who had a passion for art and music. He smiled back at her before continuing his walk through the casino.<p>

"So, your father caught you, huh?" A voiced sounded next to him. He turned to his right and saw Clay Evans. Clay was the same age as Nathan and Haley. Nathan and Clay were both part of the basketball in-crown. They were both popular and had very parallel personalities. Once Nathan started working for his father, he convinced Dan to hire Clay as well. Together, along with Lucas Roe, these three became the best surviellnace and security team Vegas has ever seen.

"Yeah, he did." Nathan answered as they both laughed.

"Damn, Nate. Did he give you hell?" Clay asked.

"Kind of. He basically warned me to break things off with her. You know, the typical Dan Scott way." Nathan said.

"Rachel? Rachel Gatina?" Another voice-female this time-sounded. Both Nathan and Clay looked to their left and saw the beautiful brunette.

"Hey, Brooke." They greeted.

Brooke Davis was the best casino host this town had to offer. She was relentless. She was gorgeous with a killer body. She was the epitone of sexy. Most people-well, most girls-thought she was a slut. But in reality, she was more of a tease. She knew how to use her sex appeal. She used it to her advantage. She used it to draw in potential clients, and one hundred percent of the time-it worked.

"You're seriously hoooking up with Rachel Gatina." Brooke said incredulously.

"It's just sex. We're not together nor will we EVER be together." Nathan repsonded.

"I hope not. Nathan, she's like the biggest whore in Vegas. I really think you should go get tested. Who knows what that skank may have given you?" Brooke said in disgust as they all laughed. "Anyway, I lost my whale." She said after a couple of seconds.

"Who?" Clay asked.

"Mr. Herman. He's one of my biggest clients. Apparently he arrived in Vegas, but nobody has seen him since. I had the limo waiting to pick him up, but he never came." Brooke answered.

"Okay, we'll look into it for you." Nathan said.

"I knew I could count on you boys." Brooke said seductively while winking before walking in the opposite direction. That was why a lot of people thought she was "friendly". She was a very flirtateous girl. She loved to flirt with everyone. That is just the type of person she is.

Nathan and Clay laughed as they made their way into the back security room. He looked around and noticed all eyes on him. This was Vegas for you-you can't hide anything. He smirked as the other guys gave him knowing looks. "Which one of you told him?" He questioned. They all turned their attention to the guy sitting behind them. "Mouth, what the hell?" He scoled jokingly.

"Dude, this one's all on you. Your dad asked me where you were, and he saw right through my lies." Mouth replied. Marvin-or as everyone calls him, Mouth-McFadden was the top computer specialist in Las Vegas. You need anything, Mouth knew how to find it. He could decode any piece of unscripted information.

"Hey, it looks like we've got a possible cheater at slot eighteen." Lucas announced as they enhanced their visuals to get a better picture. And just like that, they were all back to work.

It wasn't long, though, before Nathan's mind began to wonder to the following day. He was still trying to wrap his head around it. Haley-his Haley-was coming home. He wondered why she never told him she was coming home. He wondered if she wanted to surprise him. That couldn't be the case, though. She would have told his parents not to mention anything about her arrival if that was the case. As excited as he was, he was nervous. He just wanted things to be okay between them. He wanted their friendship to go back to normal between them. He just hoped she wanted the same thing.

**There you go. Please read and let me know what you think. The chapters are going to get longer after this one. This one just provided a little bit of background and character introduction. This is definitely a Naley storyline and will focus primarily on them. But I might make references to other couples. I was wondering who you guys would like to see. Brucus, Leyton, Jeyton, or Brulian. I have an idea which direction I want to go, but I can change it because nothing's for sure yet except Naley. I've seen a lot of people who love Brucas and some who love Leyton. I personally can't stand Leyton from the show, but I don't mind writing for them in my stories. The only ones I truly truly care about it Nathan and Haley. So, you guys are reading it. Let me know what you think! I should have another update up soon. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much for your amazing reviews. I wasn't sure about this story. I was just sitting down watching some old episodes of Las Vegas and got this idea. ****I have an idea of where I want it to go, but I don't really have everything put together right now. Also, I don't think Rachel is going to play a big role in this story. She might make little appearances, but that's about all. The drama in this story is mostly caused by Nathan and Haley themselves. The drama involves their past with one another. Now, I'm not making any gaurentees about Rachel, because sometimes I change the direction that I take my stories as I write new chapters. But for right now, I don't really have a desire to have her in my story.**

"It's so hot today!" Brooke complained as she, Nathan, and Lucas were walking along the pool area surveying the guests. "All I want to do right now is jump into that pool." She said.

"Aren't you always complaining how the sun doesn't shine enough?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, when I'm in my bikini. Not when I'm wearing a black suit with sweat dripping down my thighs." She retorted.

"We could always go swimming later tonight. I'd love to see that bikini of yours." Lucas suggested.

"You would, wouldn't you?" She flirted back as they stared at one another seductively.

Nathan rolled his eyes in annoyance. Lucas and Brooke had this sexual tension between the two of them. They always made suggested remarks towards one another, but they never acted on them. It was enough to make Nathan gag quite honestly. It nauseated him to no end. He wished they would either already hook up or give up.

"So, I saw Mr. Herman this morning on the casino floor. You found him?" He questioned changing the subject.

"Yes, I did. I am just that good." She smirked.

"Where did you find him?" He asked.

"Apparantly, he came to town with cash. He hit up a different casino and lost big. He was hiding out at Mandalay Bay. I found him, put him up in the mansion, and now he's in the casino betting a million dollars a hand." She said.

"Wow, I'm impressed." He said.

"Oh, you should be. He just lost two million dollars in the past two hours." She revealed.

"Ooh, that hurts. How's he taking it?" Lucas jumped in.

"He's as happy as can be." She answered.

"How is that even possible?" Lucas asked.

"Because I'm his casino host, and I know what he likes. What he wanted the most out of his trip to Vegas this weekend was to have a hot tub filled with 1988 Taittinger and a dozen ladies to accompany him." She answered.

"Taittinger? As in the wine?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah. Crazy, I know. That stuff runs four hundred dollars a bottle. Do you know how many bottles it took to fill that hot tub? A lot! That's all I had to do, and he is one happy man." She smirked.

"Well, good for you, Brooke Davis." Lucas said as she winked at him causing another eye roll from Nathan.

"So, Nathan, what's this I hear about a best friend coming into town?" Brooke asked changing the subject.

"Haley's coming home?" Lucas questioned.

"Haley? So, this best friend of yours is a girl." Brooke inquired curiously raising a whole new level of interest.

"Yes, she's a girl. We've been best friends our whole lives." Nathan confirmed.

"First off, how did I not know any of this? And secondly, why have I never met this girl?" Brooke asked.

"Oh, Nathan doesn't talk about her. He likes to keep her all to himself. The only reason I know about her is because I've been in his house where he has pictures of the two of them all over. I swear, it's like a freakin Haley shrine." Lucas said as Nathan shoved him roughly.

"Really? So, this Haley girl is just a friend?" Brooke asked quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, she is just a friend." Nathan answered and felt relieved when neither Brooke nor Lucas seemed to notice the hesitation that passed through his body at that question. Was Haley just a friend? His whole life, that's all she ever was to him. And all he ever was to her. That changed when he left for the Marines, though. Their entire relationship changed all in one night. Now, he didn't know what they were. He still considered her his best friend. And he always will. But at the same time, he knows they aren't as close as they used to be. He's not that naive.

"When does she get into town?" Brooke asked.

"Today, actually." Nathan answered.

"So, when do I get to meet her?" Brooke asked in excitement.

* * *

><p>Haley stepped off of the airplane and immediately caught sight of Dan and Deb. Pushing through the crowd, she rushed over to them as Dan embraced the girl he considered a daughter into his arms. Finally letting her go, Haley next hugged Deb. "We've missed you so much!" Deb exclaimed.<p>

"I've missed you guys, too." Haley returned.

"How was your flight?" Dan asked.

"It was very turbulant to say the least. But it was good." Haley answered.

"Well, come on. You can tell us more about it on the way back home." Deb said as the three of them made their way to baggage claim where the pulled out her bags.

They arrived at the house half an hour later. Dan and Deb led Haley up the stairs to a bedroom. Haley walked in and felt some tears forming in her eyes. She was instantly hit with memories from so many years ago. "Everything is just how you left it." Deb said.

"You guys don't have to do this. Turn this room into a guest room or something else that you could actually use." Haley said turning to them.

"Absolutely not. This will always be your bedroom no matter where you're living." Deb said.

Haley was placed in foster care when she was eleven years old after her father was arrested. Dan and Deb fought really hard to gain custody of her. Other than her father, she had no family except an aunt and uncle who lived in Vermont. They didn't want her, but Haley didn't want them either. Las Vegas was her home, and the Scotts were her family. Finally after going through several court hearings and evaluations, Dan and Deb Scott were named the sole gaurdians of Haley James.

"You're family, Haley. And you always will be." Deb said embracing the girl in a hug. "You must be starving. We've got a few hours before we're meeting Nathan for dinner." She began. She didn't notice the way Haley tensed at the mention of Nathan, but Dan sure did. "I'm going to go whip something up for you." She continued kissing Haley on the cheek before rushing out of the room.

Haley smiled at her retreating form before taking a seat on her bed. Dan was quick to follow. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Honestly, I'm exhausted. But at the same time, too wired to actually take a nap right now." She answered.

"So, did you take California by storm? And where are your report cards from Stanford? I need to see how my baby girl did." He joked.

"I promise you, it was straight A's." She said.

"Better be. I don't accept failures in this family." He said as they both laughed. "So, are you happy to be home?" He asked.

"Yeah, I am." She answered. Dan caught the hesitancy in her voice, though.

"What about Nathan?" He asked jumping straight to the point. Haley looked to him suddenly.

She and Dan had always shared a special bond. She was extremely close with Deb, too, but her relationship with Dan was just a bit different. Oddly enough, she found herself able to open up to Dan more than Deb. She was always so confused by this considering her past relationship with her real dad. But after the incident, it only caused her to confide in him even more. For years, she's looked up to him as a father figure.

"Why would you think that?" She asked looking back down to where her hands were now fidgeting in her lap.

"You tell me." He prodded gently while placing a comforting hand on her back. He sighed in understanding when she didn't say anything further. He knew something happened between Nathan and Haley before he left for the Marines. He just wasn't sure what. He had an idea but couldn't be completely positive. Both Nathan and Haley were tightlipped on the subject matter. Deb, however, was completely oblivious to any change in the friendship between them. "Whenever you want to talk, I'm here." He said.

"Thank you." She said quietly while nodding at him.

He leaned forward to kiss her softly on the forehead. "For what it's worth-my son's an idiot. And one day, he's gonna realize it." He said before walking towards the door. "It's good to have you home, Haley." He said one final time before leaving the room completely.

Haley fell back until she was laying flat on her bed. She couldn't keep the tears she was holding in any longer. She was so happy to be back home, but she was also so terrified of what happens now. She was so nervous about seeing Nathan again. It's been six years. She remembered back to when they never went longer than twelve hours without seeing one another. That was before everything got so complicated. She's forgiven him for that night before he left. But it doesn't mean she has forgotten. How do you just forget something like that?

When she left for Stanford, she had this feeling. It was the feeling like she was finally free. She was able to find who she was without Nathan. For eighteen years, she sort of lived in the shadows to him. And that was okay for her. She never aspired to be part of the "it" crowd in high school. She aspired to be the opposite in a way. She enjoyed school and learning. She enjoyed helping and tutoring other students. But she was popular in high school-she was popular by association through Nathan. She was nowhere near the most popular girl or student council president or prom queen, but she was known by everyone. People were fake to her in high school. She knew it was either due to the fact that they didn't want to get beat up by Nathan or lose their chance to sleep with him. Or it was because they felt sorry for her due to her childhood and her personal life.

Going to Stanford allowed her to open herself up more. She was going to an ivy league school where people didn't care about their popularity status. She was able to be herself and come out of her shell. She loved every second there. And if she was being completely honest, it was good for her to do this without Nathan. They've been together their entire lives. And while she hated the circumstances in which they parted ways, she was grateful for the outcome. She was no longer that naive girl who allowed her best friend to break her heart. She moved on from whatever feelings she had for him.

She knew she had to face Nathan eventually-and not through letters and phone calls. She had to do this for the both of them. She didn't want things to be awkward between them. She wanted to get back to the way things used to be between them. There was a time when they were inseparable. A time when she couldn't breathe when she wasn't around him. But she couldn't shake this feeling that things would never be the same.

* * *

><p>Nathan waited anxiously at Aureole. He checked his watch for the hundreth time and saw that it was five passed six. "Where the hell are they?" He thought aloud while glancing in the direction of the entrance one more time. He wiped his sweaty palms on his black pants. He couldn't even begin to describe the feelings passing through his body at the moment. He looked up and saw his parents making their way to the table. He stood up and greeted them by shaking his father's hand and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. He noticed Haley wasn't with them and couldn't help but look around for any trace of her. "Where's Haley at? I though she was coming." He questioned confused as the three of them took a seat.<p>

"She's here. She just had to use the restroom first." Deb answered. Nathan nodded his head in understanding before taking in a deep breath.

Dan watched his son amused. He hated to admit it, but he loved to watch his son squirm. That sounds awful for a father to even think that, but it didn't make it any less true. He knew what went down between Nathan and Haley was primarily, if not all, Nathan's fault. Haley was like a daughter to him as well. He saw how much Nathan's leaving did to her. He watched and listened as she cried when she didn't think anyone was around. He grew increasingly worried about her day by day. He had to admit that he was more than relieved when she came to him and told him she had decided to go to Stanford. He didn't want her to go, but he knew she needed to get away. He loved Nathan with his whole heart, but he also knew the type of person Nathan was. Nathan was the love them and leave them type. And he knew the type of person Haley was. Haley was the type of girl who loved you completely, but she also wore her heart on her sleeve.

Nathan reached and took a big gulp of his beer sitting on the table. He turned his attention towards the entrance and that was when he saw her. His eyes went wide as his mouth dropped open in shock. She was wearing this strapless white dress that showed off a considerable amount of cleavage. The dress stopped at her mid-thigh which made her legs appear ten times longer than what they were. There was a black belt that wrapped around her body which was located right underneath her breasts. The white color enhanced her golden brown tan. His eyes moved up her body. Her previous shoulder length blonde hair was now an auburn brown color which cascading down just passed her shoulder blades and stopped right before hitting the middle of her back. His eyes zeroed in on her face which was covered in a simple, look with natural colors. She was beautiful. She took his breath away quite honestly.

Never before had Nathan seen Haley like this. He was so used to seeing her in jeans, baby tees, and cardigan sweaters. He knew she had a body. He lived with her for years. He wasn't ashamed to say that he had sneaken a few peaks here and there. His best friend had one amazingly, sexy body. He never understood why she never showed it off. He understood to an extent. That wasn't the type of person she was. She was never comfortable enough with her own body to showcase it. But now, she was glowing. She had this confidence about her now that seemed to just ooz out of her.

He caught her gaze as the two of them stared at one another while she continued to walk their way. She sent a small smile her way. He knew she was being sincere, but he also saw just a hint of fakeness behind it. That hurt him so deeply. Never did he ever think he would get this type of feeling from his best friend. From the girl who meant the world to him. He returned the smile. He stood up from his chair and found them standing face to face. He swooped down quickly and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her in for a tight hug. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you so much." He whispered into the crook of her neck. That hurt feeling inside of him only seemed to increase when she didn't return the hug right away.

Haley had to close her eyes at the overwhelming feeling of being near Nathan once again-of being wrapped tightly in his arms once again. She almost felt like she couldn't breathe. She hated this feeling. This feeling of being so disconnected from her best friend. She hesitated just a moment before bringing her arms up to wrap around his neck. "I've missed you, too." She said almost inaudibly.

Realizing they couldn't stay in that position all night, they broke apart sending one another a small smile before turning their attention to his parents. Nathan pulled out Haley's chair for her as she thanked him for the kind gesture. Their waiter came by shortly later and took everyone's drink and food orders before leaving them alone once again. "So, Haley, tell us all about Stanford." Deb said.

"Oh, it was amazing. I don't even know if I can describe it. The campus was beautiful, and California was just beautiful, too." She began.

"Hey, California's not as beautiful as Las Vegas. And you better not be thinking of moving there permanately." Dan jumped in.

"Don't worry. As beautiful as California is, it doesn't beat Las Vegas. Vegas is home." She said easing all three of their fears. The four of them continued talking about what's been going on over the past six years since they've all been together.

"So, Haley, how are the boys at Stanford?" Deb asked winking at her. It was such an innocent question, but Deb didn't catch the tension that immediately flooded their table. Dan shook his head in mild amusement. His wife was so clueless sometimes when it came to the relationship between their son and "daughter".

Haley shifted her eyes almost immediately over to Nathan. She noticed that he was avoiding eye contact with her, and he was gripping the fork in front of him. She quickly looked back over to Deb. She knew she had to tell them the truth. She knew she had to tell them the big news she needs to tell them, but for some reason, she couldn't muster up the strength to do so. She wanted to tell them all together at the same time. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to tell Nathan first and in private.

"Haley, what are your plans in terms of working?" Dan asked changing the subject. Haley caught his eyes and silently thanked him as he nodded in understanding. "You majored in Event Management, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, I did. I'm going to do some job hunting tomorrow actually. This is Vegas-the entertainment capitol of the world-I know there's going to be something available." She said.

"Actually, I don't think you're going to have time to job hunt tomorrow." Dan said.

"What? Why not?" Haley question confused.

"Well, I mean, you have to work tomorrow." He said as she still looked a little lost. "Well, I just hired you as the casino's new Special Events Coordinator. You start tomorrow morning at nine. And I don't tolerate tardiness." He continued.

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Of course, I'm serious." He said.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" She exclaimed embracing him in a hug.

"You're welcome, sweetie." He said.

Nathan couldn't help but smile. He had a feeling his dad was going to offer Haley a job. Their Special Events Coordinator had quit, because she was moving to a different state. Haley coming home was just at the right moment. He knew Haley would be amazing at her job, and he also could admit that he was happy to get to work together. He felt that them spending time together at work would help mend their fragile friendship.

The rest of dinner went smoothly, and before they realized it, it was already close to ten at night. They walked out to the parking lot. "Well, I guess, I'll see you tomorrow." Haley said to Nathan.

"Haley, did you maybe want to go somewhere and talk-you know, catch up?" He asked timidly.

"Oh, umm, I umm..." She was so caught off gaurd. She knew they had to talk about everything eventually, but she wasn't quite ready. She wanted to give it a couple days before they rehashed everything. "I'm kind of tired. It's been such a long day, and I'm exhausted." She semi-lied.

"That's okay. I get it." He recovered. He was hurt. He really wanted to talk to her-alone without his parents there. There was a lot of things they needed to talk about. He was hurt more knowing that she didn't want to talk to him. He knew she was exhausted, but he knew it had more to do with him.

"Rain check?" She asked.

"Of course." He said. Not caring about any awkward tenstion, he leaned forward and embraced her in a tight hug. This time, she didn't hesitate in wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy you're home." He said.

"Me, too." She said as she felt him pull back slightly. She closed her eyes as she felt his hot breath on her cheek.

"You look amazing, Hales." He whispered kissing her gently on the cheek before pulling away and walking towards his car.

Haley felt a shiver run through her body at his words. She brought her hand up to her cheek where he kissed her. She let out a sigh before climbing into the car. _Why did things have to be so complicated?_ She couldn't help but think. She knew this was just the beginning.

**Okay, there you go. The first few chapters are just providing some background information. The drama is going to pick up soon. The next chapter is when Haley starts working at the casino and meets everyone else. I should have another chapter up, hopefully tomorrow sometime.**

**Also, if you couldn't tell, Dan plays a good guy in this story. I've always had a soft spot for Dan since season five, and I love the dynamic he brings to the show. I've always loved the Dan/Haley relationship on the show and wished they would showcase it more. Maybe in season 9! It might seem like he's a little hard on Nathan, but he just knows how his son is. He knows that with Nathan, he has to be a little tough to get through to him. And he also has a really close relationship with Haley, so he feels sometimes like he's caught in the middle. And he feels like he has to side with Haley more often, because he knows how fragile she is.**

**Mrs. Naley Scott...I don't know where I got my profile picture. I think I found it on either google or yahoo in the images section. I know I typed in something to deal with OTH, and I think it was either James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Galeotti or Nathan and Haley. It was something like that. And I actually think it might be a manipulation.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I cannot express how much I appreciate your guys' reviews. And even just the story alerts I receive. It's so wonderful to know that people are enjoying this story so far. And I just hope you continue to enjoy it. And I love hearing the feedback as well in the reviews. It's always fun to read what people liked/disliked about the chapters. And I love when people try to guess what's happened or going to happen. Thank you so much.**

Haley made her way into the casino feeling nervous and excited all at the same time. She was so incredibly grateful to Dan for this opportunity. The truth was that she has always wanted to work for Dan's casino. In a way, it's a family business, and she always considered herself part of the family. When she was little, before she started living with the Scotts, Dan always brought she and Nathan to the casino on slow days and nights. He showed them around and helped them become familiar with the way of life in Las Vegas.

Her favorite memory was this one moment that she will never forget. The casino was hosting a bridal expo, and Deb took her with her. She remembered being blown away. There were dozens of women talking about their weddings and the way their fiance's proposed to them. She watched the dozens of women try on these big, beautiful white gowns, thousands dollars with of jewelry, and these amazing shoes. Not only was there that type of stuff, but there were flowers displayed all over the banquet hall. The smell of Roses, Lilies, Orchids, Camellias, and dozens more. The scent of Lilies captured her attention the most. She promised herself that day that she would have dozens of lilies surrounding the church and reception hall on the day of her own wedding. Before that day, she hadn't given much thought to getting married. But after that day, all she did was daydream about her own wedding. She had everything planned out-everything but the groom. She knew who she wanted, but she didn't know who it would actually be.

After that day at the bridal expo, she realized that she wanted to be an event planner. She wanted to coordinate special events. She confided in Deb about what she wanted to do with her life, and Deb told her she'd be excellent at that. After that moment, Deb took Haley with her to so many different expos around the city and every once in awhile, they even went to New York City. Deb wanted to show Haley how much goes into Special Events Coordinating. There were so many opportunities and very few limitations with this career. Haley often thought about moving to Los Angeles or Manhatten where there were just as many opportunities, but Las Vegas was home. She lived here her entire life, and she had no desire to leave. It was one thing to go away for a few years but a completely different thing to go away permanately.

Haley walked to the cashier's counter where Dan was standing there waiting for her. She smiled boisterously at him as the anticipation coursed through her body. "Hey, sweetie." He greeted hugging her quickly. "Well, don't you look professional and ready to work." He commented. She was dressed in a light grey pant suit. Instead of a suit jacket, though, she wore a vest with a black outline along the collar and three black buttons. She had a black t-shirt type undershirt with cuffed sleeves and a low crew neckline. She had a long silver necklace around her neck and a silver bracelet on her right wrist and a pair of black heels. Her hair was softly curled cascading down her back.

"Thank you." She said.

"You're not nervous, are you?" He asked.

"A little. I just want to make you and this casino proud. I hope I do okay." She admitted.

"You're going to do great. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't think you were completely capable of doing this job. You have nothing to worry about." He reassured.

"Thank you again so much for this, Dan. I appreciate it so much." She said.

"Don't mention it. Now, let's get you settled in." He said leading her away.

* * *

><p>Peyton was making her way into the casino cafe for a quick bite to eat. She ordered a sandwhich and a coke before taking a seat at one of the empty tables. The whole day was a little slow in the casino, and there were plenty of vacant tables. "God, could this day go any slower." A voice sounded startling Peyton just a bit. She looked up and watched as Brooke plopped herself in the chair across from her.<p>

"Well, hello to you, too, cheery." Peyton greeted.

"Shut up, P. Sawyer. It's almost not even worth being open today. There are barely any guests, and I have no whales here at the moment. I'm so bored." Brooke complained.

"Tell me about it." Another voice sounded. Peyton and Brooke rolled their eyes in annoyance at the voice. They didn't have to look to see who the scratchy voice belonged to. "So, what are we talking about?"

"WE...are talking. You can go away." Brooke sniped.

"Ooh, a little testy, aren't we, Brooke. Lucas not giving you any?" Rachel taunted.

"Why are you here? We sure as hell don't want you here." Brooke retorted.

"Actually, I was wondering if you girls have seen Nathan? I've been looking for him all day, but I can't seem to find him anywhere." Rachel complained.

"Well, if he was smart, he'd probably be hiding from you. I know I would. However, he lacked the common sense when he jumped into bed with you in the first place. So, I'm going to have to say that he isn't that smart. I mean, he clearly isn't worried about contracting an STD. How many are you up to now?" Brooke asked. Peyton laughed as Rachel glared at the both of them.

Peyton and Brooke resumed their private conversation before Rachel interrupted them again. "Who's that?" She asked in irritation. The other two girls followed her line of sight and saw Dan with a young girl they've never seen before.

"That must be the new Special Events Coordinator." Peyton answered.

"What?" Rachel snarked looking over to Peyton suddenly. "Dan hired someone. I put in my application for that position weeks ago." She exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Brooke mocked as Rachel scoffed and turned back to Dan and the girl.

"Why would he hire her? She's not even pretty. To work in Vegas, you've gotta be hot. And what the hell is she wearing? Like that is actually appropriate to wear for work." Rachel said in disgust.

"First of all, she's wearing something very similar to what both Peyton and myself are wearing. Second of all, she happens to be gorgeous. And third, take a look in the mirror, honey. Talk about appropriate work attire." Brooke began. Rachel was dressed in this extremely tight-fitted red dress. It stopped at her mid-thigh with an extremely low v-neckline. Any lower and she'd be falling out. She looked nothing short of trashy. "Maybe that's why you didn't get the job." Brooke finished.

"She probably slept with him. She looks like a slut." Rachel shot out ignoring Brooke's comment.

"Well, if it isn't the pot meeting the kettle." Peyton chimed in.

"Whatever. Tell Nathan I'm looking for him. Bye, bitches." Rachel said while standing and walking away.

"Bye, bitches." Brooke mocked in annoyance. "Do you think she's really just that stupid? I mean, she has to get that we all hate her. Why does she pretend like we like her or even care about her in the slightest?" She continued.

"But, Brooke, I do like her." Peyton joked as the two girls laughed.

"So, P. Sawyer, what's going on with you and Jake?" Brooke asked casually catching her friend completely off-gaurd.

"Jake who?" Peyton tried to hide.

"Oh, don't even. You know what Jake I'm talking about. Jake Jagielski-the detective who works with LVMPD." Brooke said.

"Nothing. I barely know the guy." Peyton dismissed.

"Is that why you guys were having dinner the other night?" Brooke asked slyly catching Peyton off-gaurd once again. "I totally saw you two. There was some major flirting going on. And by the look of it, I'm definitely guessing that you both went back to one of your apartments. Am I right?" She taunted and quirked an eyebrow when Peyton didn't respond quickly. "Well?" She prodded.

"Fine. You caught us. We had dinner the other night, and yes, we may have went back to his apartment." Peyton gave in as her face flushed with embarrassment.

"You dirty little whore!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Please don't say that to me. That's what we say about Rachel, and I don't want to be lumped in with that tramp." Peyton scoffed.

"Fair enough." Brooke agreed putting her hands up slightly. She looked back over to where Dan and the new girl was still standing. Dan was introducing her to some of the cafe employees. Brooke observed the girl closely. She was very pretty. She was pretty in a way that was like the "girl-next-door" pretty. She had a big, boisterous smile on her. Her entire face lit up. And Dan seemed to be incredibly smitten with her-not in a sexual way, though. "Should we go introduce ourselves?" She asked.

"Sure. I'm done here." Peyton agreed as they stood up and walked over to where they were standing. Dan caught sight of the two girls and smiled at them. "Hey, Dan." Brooke and Peyton both greeted.

"Hello. You girls are just in time. I have someone I would like you to meet. Haley, this is Brooke Davis. She's our top casino host. And this is Peyton Sawyer, she's the casino's pit boss. Brooke, Peyton...this is Haley James. She's the new Special Events Coordinator." Dan introduced. The girls said their hellos and shook one another's hands.

"Wait, did you say Haley?" Brooke questioned.

"Yes, that's my name. Don't wear it out." Haley joked nervously causing both Dan and Peyton to laugh.

"Haley? As in Nathan's best friend, Haley?" Brooke prodded.

"Yeah, I guess that's me." Haley answered uncomfortably.

"Well, I've got a lot of stuff to show Haley still. We'll talk to you girls later." Dan jumped in saving Haley from anymore awkward conversations.

"It was nice to meet you both." Haley said politely as Dan led her away.

"You, too." Peyton called out before turning back to Brooke who was wearing a sly grin. "Brooke?" She questioned.

"Oh, this is too good." Brooke said while letting out a small laugh.

* * *

><p>"Hey, how's your first day going?" Nathan asked as he ran into Haley right outside of the casino floor.<p>

"It's going good." She answered.

"Over your nerves?" He questioned.

"Yes, I am. And how did you know I was nervous? I haven't seen you all day." She said squinting her eyes at him.

"Come on, Hales. I know you. I know everything about you." He commented.

"Not everything." She mumbled quietly under her breath.

"What?" He asked not hearing her.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Haley dismissed quickly. She wasn't quite ready to open up that discussion with him yet. She wanted to talk to him so badly, but she was terrified. Terrified of telling him her news, terrified of his reaction, terrified of reopening the old wounds from their past...really, just terrified of so many things.

"So, are you done for the day or what?" He asked.

"Yes, actually, I am." She answered.

"Me, too. Would you like to get some dinner?" He asked pointing to the hotel restaurant.

"Umm...I, umm..."

"You know what, forget it. I'm sure you're tired. We can do it some oth..."

"No, no...I would love to, Nathan." She interrupted him as he smiled gratefully at him. "I have one condition, though." She said.

"Okay, what's that?" He asked nervously.

"We don't talk about the past. I know we'll have to have that conversation sometime-it's inevitable. But not tonight. How about we just catch up on what's going on now. I just don't want to..." She paused trying to think of the right word.

"Fight?" He filled in for her.

"Yeah, fight. I would really just like to hang out with my best friend." She said.

Nathan instantly smiled at your use of the words best friend. "Okay, that works for me." He agreed as they nodded in understanding. "Well, after you." He said stepping out of her way to allow her to walk into the restaurant in front of him. He couldn't help but smile as he followed her into the restaurant. Soon enough, they were seated and sipping on some wine while waiting for their food.

"So, you're head of surveillance and security now?" She said as Nathan nodded. "That's so awesome, Nathan. You know, your parents are very proud of you." She continued.

"Right? Maybe my mom." He said sarcastically.

Haley was taken aback by his tone as well as his comment. Dan and Nathan were always so close growing up, and she didn't understand him at the moment. "Why would you say that?" She questioned.

"My dad hasn't been proud of me since I left for the Marines." Nathan said.

"That's not true." She denied.

"Yeah, it is." He said.

"No, it's not, Nathan. Everytime your dad and I talked, he mentioned how proud of you he is. He was always telling me about how great you are at your job and how impressed he was with your performance in the military. Nathan, he wouldn't have given you this job if he didn't think you were qualified. We both know that Dan wants nothing but the best. He would not have hired you or me for that matter if he didn't think we were qualified. It doesn't matter if we're family or not." She tried reassuring.

"Well, he has a funny way of showing it." He stated quietly.

Haley couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She knew that Dan kind of "sided" with her after Nathan left for the Marines. The truth was that Dan was just as upset as she was when Nathan left. Nathan didn't only leave without telling her goodbye or where he was going, he never said goodbye to Dan or Deb either. They were both extremely hurt and confused and angry along with so many other emotions. His parents were out of town for the weekend, and when they came home, Haley informed them that Nathan was gone. He left a note for them explaining where he was. It was selfish what Nathan did. She knows he knows that. He mentioned it to her in one of his letters. But it doesn't change the fact that he hurt all three of them with his selfishness.

"I don't know, I guess, I just wish we would go back to the way we used to be. All of us." He said looking directly into her eyes.

"Nathan, don't go there. We agreed we weren't going to talk about this." She said as calmly as she could.

"I know, but, Hales, I just..."

"No, stop, Nathan!" She interrupted. "I can't handle this tonight. Please, let's just pretend it didn't happen. Just for now. Please." She pleaded.

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry." He apologized. "So, tell me some more about Stanford." He said changing the subject much to Haley's relief.

"Oh, Nathan, it was so amazing. I loved every second of it. It was everything I ever dreamed it would be." She gushed.

"And how were your grades? Straight A's?" He asked.

"Of course." She said.

"That's my girl." He said. And awkward silence surrounding them as they both glanced away from one another. Nathan mentally scolded himself. He always used to say that to Haley. Those three words just popped out of his mouth without even a second thought.

"You know, there's this tradition at Stanford. It's called Full Moon on the Quad." Haley began.

Nathan couldn't help but smile at Haley just ignoring the awkward moment from before and changing the subject. That was such a Haley thing to do.

"On the night of the first full moon in fall quarter, tradition has it that freshman females and senior males come out onto the Quad and kiss at midnight." She said.

"Really? Is this true?" He asked.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." She smirked as he laughed and shook his head at her. "Ryan Bloom." She said after a couple seconds.

"What? Who's that?" He asked confused.

"That's the senior guy that I kissed." She revealed.

"So, it is true." He said.

"Yeah." She confirmed.

"That doesn't sound like something Haley James would do." He commented.

"Normally, it isn't. My roomate dragged me out there. She said I needed to live a little. So, I relented and went. It was a blast honestly. It turned into this huge party with all of the classes. I had no idea who this guy was. The tradition began, and I was quite content in sitting that part of it out when all of a sudden, this guy grabs me and just plants one on me. I was a bit shocked at first. But afterwards, he told me that I can't miss out on tradition. It was my only chance for this particular one. Then, he went back to his friends, and I went back to mine. That was a really fun night." She said.

"I'm glad you had fun, Hales." He said sincerely.

Rachel watched from afar growing angrier and angrier. She watched as Nathan laughed and smiled at whatever this girl was talking about. He never acted this way with her, and she was pissed. There was no way this new girl can just show up like this and start right in on him. Nathan is hers. Sure, they weren't in a committed relationship or any relationship for that matter except for sex buddies, but that still didn't mean this new girl could swoop in and take her place. She wasn't about to sit back and let that happen.

"Nathan, did you want to go take a walk or something? There's something that I kind of need to ta..." Haley was cut off when she noticed a beautiful red-head saddle herself up against Nathan.

"Nathan! There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you." The girl purred. Haley couldn't help but cringe slightly at the tone of this girl's voice.

Nathan groaned out in irritation once he heard Rachel's voice and felt her drape her body up against his own. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend this evening. He has been successfully dodging her until now. This is the last thing he needed-especially with Haley sitting right across from him. "Hey." He managed to grit out.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?" She asked causing him to roll his eyes.

"Rachel, this is Haley. Haley, this is Rachel." He introduced begrudgingly.

"Hi! I'm Rachel." Rachel squeeked while extending her right hand towards Haley.

"Yes, I think we've established that when Nathan said 'This is Rachel'." Haley snarked sarcastically while placing her hand into Rachel's as the two girls shook hands. Nathan had to bite back the laugh that was threatening to fall from his lips. Haley could always bring on the sarcasm.

"Well...it's nice to meet you." Rachel recovered.

"Nice to meet you, too." Haley said.

"So, I heard you are the new Special Events Coordinator. Is that true?" Rachel inquired.

"Yes, it is. And do you work here as well?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. I'm a hostess here in the restaurant." Rachel answered.

"How nice." Haley mumbled just loud enough for both Nathan and Rachel to hear. "Have you been working here long?" She asked trying to be polite.

"Oh, not too long. How long has it been, Natey? Like five months?" She purred moving her body closer into him.

Haley had to keep herself from vomitting-first at this girl calling him 'Natey' and then at the blatanly obvious way she was trying to lay her claim on him.

"I don't know, Rachel." Nathan bit out in irritation while trying to untangle her from him.

"You're just going to love it here, Haley. It's such a beautiful hotel, and the men-particularly the ones working up in surveillance and security-are extremely good-looking." Rachel said.

"Oh, please." Haley mumbled inaudibly. She seriously felt like she could vomit at any second. She just wanted this girl to shut up. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. She cringed just listening to her. She had to get out of this restaurant and away from her voice.

"Have you seen the strip at night? Sooo gorgeous. All those lights-it's absolutely amazing!" Rachel gushed.

"Yes, I've seen it." Haley said.

"Rachel, Haley's from Las Vegas. She's lived here all her life." Nathan jumped in.

"Really? How did you know that? Did she tell you while you guys sat here drinking your wine and eating your dinner?" Rachel asked angrily.

Haley realized it was time for her to leave. She definitely didn't want to get trapped into this little arguement or whatever this was that Nathan was about to have with his girlfriend or whoever she was. This was one conversation she didn't want to be caught in the middle of. "I'm just going to go." She said standing up.

"No, Hales, don't go." Nathan pleaded.

"Hales? How cute? He already has a pet name for you." Rachel scoffed.

"Shut up, Rachel!" He threatened sending a menacing glare her way.

"It's okay, Nathan. I'll just talk to you tomorrow. Thanks for dinner. Bye." Haley threw out before hastily exiting the restaurant.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nathan asked furiously turning around to face Rachel.

"What? I just wanted to show the new girl where we stand." She said.

"There is no WE, Rachel! There never was, and there never will be. This thing-whatever it was-is over. I'm done with you. I told you from the beginning that this was nothing but sex between us. But I'm done with it. Stay the hell away from me. And stay the hell away from Haley." He warned turning to walk away. But before he could walk any further, he turned back around to face her. "By the way, you try anything-and I mean anything at all. I'll have my dad fire you. And believe me, I really don't think he'd have a problem doing that." He said one last time before leaving completely.

Nathan practically had to sprint to catch up with Haley who was just about to step into a cab. "Haley!" He called out to her and gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to him as she turned to look at him. "Hey, look I'm sorry about that in there." He apologized.

"No, it's okay." She laughed.

"I didn't think she would show up. I actually thought she went home already." He said.

"So, is she your girlfriend?" She asked hesitantly.

"What? No, why?" He asked.

"Well, she was definitely trying to mark her territory." She said as they both laughed.

"Yeah, I guess she was. She's not my girlfriend. She's just, umm...we, umm..." Nathan stammered to find his words.

"Oh." Haley began while nodding her head in understanding. "Some things never change." She mumbled under her breath, but Nathan definitely heard. "Haley, I..."

"You know, it's late, and it's been a long day. I'm tired. I'm just going to go home." She interrupted him.

"Before, when we were in the restaurant, you said something about taking a walk. If you're still up for it, I would really love to just talk for awhile. Please, Haley. I really miss you." He said sincerely.

"Okay." She agreed hesitantly. "There is something that I kind of need to talk to you about." She added.

**Okay, there's another chapter. As I said before, Rachel's not going to be much of an issue. Nathan and Haley have plenty of their own issues that they have to deal with. The next chapter, I'm going to have some Haley, Brooke, and Peyton interraction. I'm not the biggest Peyton fan on the show, but I love it when all of the girls are all together. And I'm definitely going to pick up where I left off with this chapter. I'm hoping to have another update up tomorrow. So, until then!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, I cannot express enough thank yous for all of the story alerts and your awesome reviews. I love hearing what you have to say about the chapters and the characters. Thank you so much! So, here's another chapter. I wasn't planning on posting this until later today, but I started writing and just couldn't stop. I guess lucky for you guys! Enjoy!**

Nathan and Haley were currently walking along the strip. It was dark and all the lights lit up the city. It was such an amazing sight. "God, I've missed this. It's so beautiful out here. You can't get this in California." Haley commented quietly.

"I know. Nothing beats this sight." He agreed.

"You know, I loved Stanford and California, but there were some nights that I missed Vegas so much. Sometimes late at night, I would sneak up to the roof of the Cantor Arts Center. I brought my ipod and a blanket and just layed there staring up at the stars in the sky. I had a playlist in my ipod for songs that reminded me of Vegas-mostly Elvis..." She said as they both let out a small laugh. "And I would just listen and lay there. Sometimes, I just needed that feeling of home, you know. I missed so many things." She said.

"Was I included in that?" He asked timidly.

"You were at the top of the list. Everything else was miles down." She answered looking into his eyes. They smiled at one another before the atmosphere shifted around them. Haley was the first to break contact as she abruptly shifted her gaze back in front of her.

Nathan took a couple seconds to collect himself before opening his mouth to speak. "You know, there were times while I was in the military that I didn't think I would make it. I was scared, and that is not a feeling I'm familiar with. I've only been that scared one other time in my life." He began as they shared a quiet look of understanding. "It was such a different experience than what I've ever been accustomed to. I really didn't think I would be coming home not injured if not alive."

"But you did." She said.

"Because of you." He said as she looked at him suddenly. "Do you want to know what I took with me when I left for the Marines aside from the obvious clothes and other necessities?" He asked as she continued to look at him waiting for an answer. "A picture of you. I carried that picture with me everywhere I went. The moments when I felt like I was losing my strength and ready to give up, I just pulled out that picture and found my motivation." He revealed.

"Nathan." She breathed out quietly.

"You saved my life, Haley James. A day never went by that I didn't think of you and how much I love you. You and my parents are my entire world. And I hate how we are right now, and I hate what I did. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you. You have to believe me that I had no intention of doing what I did. I hate myself for it." He said. He looked at her and noticed the tears falling down her cheeks. He softly brushed them away with his fingers.

"It wasn't all your fault, Nathan. I was a big girl, and I knew what I was doing that night. It's my fault just as much as it is yours." She said.

"But I was supposed to protect you. I wasn't supposed to be the one who hurt you." He said.

"You've always protected me, Nathan. You saved me from my father? It was because of you that I was finally able to escape him." She said.

"No, that was my parents." He said.

"No, it was you. I still remember that day so vividly. It's like a nightmare that I can't escape and will probably never be able to. I remember just laying there feeling so helpless and praying someone would come and rescue me. And then you walked into my bedroom. God, I've never seen that look on your face before. I thought you were going to kill my dad. We were just eleven years old, but you beat the crap out of him. And then, your father came in and stopped you. After that, I remember just crying in your arms and never letting go until we reached the hospital. Even then, I begged them to let you come into the examination room with me. But of course, you couldn't go in, so your mom did. You were my hero that day, Nathan. And everyday since. No matter what happened between us after that night, I've never once forgotten that. You've always protected me." She said.

Within a second, she felt his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She was quick to wrap her arms around his neck. They didn't know how long they stood there, and they didn't say anything. They didn't need to. They simply just held one another.

"I felt my heart stop when I walked in and saw what he was doing to you. I've never felt that way in my entire life. I was so scared." He said so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. She ran her hands soothingly up and down his arms. After what felt like hours, they finally broke apart. Nathan grabbed ahold of her hand as they continued to walk along the strip in silence. "You said you had something to talk to me about." He said breaking the silence minutes later.

"Oh, I, umm...yeah." She stammered. She stopped walking and dropped her hand from his.

Nathan turned to look at her confused once he felt her hand fall from his. He watched as she closed her eyes tightly and began to take a couple deep breaths. "Haley?" He called out. He found himself growing increasingly worried. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked.

Haley heard the concern in his voice and forced herself to open her eyes and look at him. "I have to tell you something. This isn't easy for me to say." She began as her voice trembled.

"Haley, you can tell me anything. What's going on?" He prodded gently.

"I, umm...I me..." She was interrupted when Nathan's cell phone went off. Nathan gave her an apologetic look while digging in his pocket to pull out his phone. Haley sighed quietly to herself before turning slightly away to give him a little bit of privacy.

"Hey, dad...Yeah, actually, she's with me right now. We just had dinner...Okay, that's fine...Alright, bye." He ended his conversation with Dan and turned back towards Haley. "Sorry about that." He apologized.

"No, that's fine. So, what did your dad have to say?" She asked.

"He was just a little worried about you. He said that you left your cell phone on the kitchen counter this morning." He said.

"Yeah, I did." She said sheepishly.

"He just wanted to see if I knew where you were. And he wanted to know if I could go check on something in the casino for him." He said.

"Okay. Well, I should probably get back anyway. I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow." She said. She couldn't decide if she was relieved or upset that they got interrupted just seconds ago. She knew she eventually had to tell him, and she wanted to. But she also couldn't deny that she wouldn't mind holding off for just a tiny bit longer.

"Well, do you want to walk back to the casino with me? I can give you a ride back home." He offered.

"Oh, no. That's okay. I can just catch a cab." She refused.

"Okay." He said.

"Thanks again for tonight, Nathan. I had a really nice time, and I've really missed you." She said.

"Me, too. I'll see you tomorrow, Hales." He said before embracing her in another hug. "I love you." He whispered before kissing her gently on her forehead. He heard her mumble out the same three words back before he forced himself to tear away from her. He waited with her to make sure she safely got into the cab and watched as she disappeared from his sight completely.

* * *

><p>Nathan walked through the casino floor observing the guests. The whole week has been kind of slow. It was expected considering they were kind of in the off-season for Vegas. They say kind of because Las Vegas isn't the city to really have an off-season so to speak. But it was August-one of the slowest months for tourists due to the ungodly hot weather.<p>

He hadn't seen Haley since the previous night except from afar. For her first "real" day, she certainly had a lot on her plate. While the casino was slow, Haley was busy setting up for The Black Eyed Peas to be performing during the weekend. There was a huge concert happening, and the group was scheduled to arrive in two days. He knew Haley had to be pretty excited to be thrown into something so big for her first week. He had no doubt in his mind that she would pull everything off without a hitch. Haley gave one hundred percent to everything she did. That was the "valedictorian" in her. He was so incredibly proud of her. His thoughts were broken when Brooke and Peyton came walking up beside him on both sides so that he was sandwiched in between them.

"So..." Brooke said slyly causing Nathan to grow completely confused. She was wearing the "Brooke Davis" smirk which was never a good thing.

"So, what?" He asked.

"Why didn't you tell us that your best friend was going to be working here?" Peyton asked.

"Because I didn't know until after I talked to you." He answered.

"Fair enough. But here's the bigger question. Why didn't you tell us she was totally hot?" Brooke said.

Nathan almost choked on his own spit as he was walking. Leave it to Brooke to be so completely brazen about everything. How was he supposed to answer that? Of course, he knew that Haley was hot. She was a knockout. But there was no right way he could really answer that question without getting some kind of third degree from Brooke and Peyton.

"She is really hot." Peyton chimed in.

"Rachel's completely jealous of her." Brooke threw out.

"Why would you say that?" He asked. He knew it was true-that much was obvious the previous night when she draped herself all over him in front of Haley. He just wanted to know what they had to say.

"She was completely trash talking her yesterday before we knew who she was. She found out that Haley got the job she had applied for and was pissed. After that, she pretty much had nothing but 'wonderful' things to say about her. It was pretty entertaining, though. Seriously, Nathan, how can you stand that girl? She has a voice like nails on a chalkboard. And she so blatantly puts herself out there. I mean, come on sweetie, give the guys a little mystery." Brooke said as both Nathan and Peyton laughed.

"Well, we're officially done with our whole 'sex' relationship. I ended it last night." He said.

"It's about time, Nate. Good job, buddy." Peyton said patting him on the back like a little kid.

"Okay, enough about that skank. I want to hear more about Haley." Brooke said.

"What do you want to hear?" He asked nervously.

"Well, everything. Especially why you've never mentioned her to any of us. I want to hear the story of Naley." She said.

"Who the hell is Naley?" Nathan asked.

"It's Nathan and Haley put together. Duh!" She exclaimed as if he was an idiot.

"Jeez, Brooke." Peyton laughed rolling her eyes.

"So, tell us!" Brooke all but shouted impatiently.

"Fine. We've been best friends our whole lives. Our mothers were best friends in college, so we sort have always been in each other's lives. There really isn't that much else to say." He answered vaguely hoping she would drop it.

"Really? So, you guys have been best friends for what...twenty four years and that's all?" Brooke asked skeptically.

"Well, what do you want? A biography of our lives?" He retored incredulously.

"Yes, I would. Preferably on pink scented paper." She said in complete seriousness.

"Whatever, Brooke. Look, that's all you need to know. Everything else is between me and Haley." He said in frustration. "I have to go." He said rushing off in the opposite direction.

"What's on your mind, B. Davis?" Peyton asked knowing that look on her friend's face all too well.

"He's lying." Brooke said squinting her eyes.

"Who's lying about what?" Peyton asked confused.

"Nathan. There's more to him and Haley than he's telling." Brooke answered.

"Oh, no. I know that look. Let it go, Brooke. If Nathan is disclosing some information about his friendship with Haley, then I'm sure there's a reason for it. It's their business. Just leave them alone." Peyton pleaded. She knew Brooke liked to meddle. It's who she is. But sometimes, she didn't know when to stop.

"Come on, you're telling me you're not even the teeniest bit curious." Brooke challenged.

"Of course, I'm curious. But it's their business. If they want to share the details with us, they will. Brooke, this is not your place to poke and prod." Peyton tried to reason.

"We're having a girls night. You, me, and Haley. I think it's time we get to know Nathan's best friend a little bit better. Oh, speak of the devil." Brooke smirked before walking away towards the direction of where Haley appeared.

"It's like I'm talking to a brick wall." Peyton said aloud before rushing to catch up with her.

"Haley!" Brooke greeted cheerfully placing herself directly in front of the girl.

"Hi. Brooke, right?" Haley asked.

"Yup, that's me." Brooke answered.

"Hey, Haley." Peyton greeted catching up to them.

"Hi. And you're Peyton, right?" Haley asked.

"Sure am." Peyton said.

"So, how are you liking it here so far?" Brooke asked.

"I really like it. Everyone is so nice and friendly. Well, almost everyone." Haley said looking past the girls in the distance. Peyton and Brooke followed her line of sight and saw Rachel staring at them and glaring. She rolled her eyes before stalking off. "She's quite the bitch, isn't she?" Haley said.

"I really like you." Brooke said.

"Thanks, I guess." Haley said letting out a small laugh.

"Don't worry about Rachel. She's just mad that she isn't getting any from Nathan anymore. But I give her thirty seconds before moving on to the next guy dumb enough to risk contracting an STD. She's like the casino's own personal call girl. And besides, she's just mad because you got the job she wanted." Brooke bit out.

"Well, there's probably a reason for that. I mean, if it's because of what she was wearing...or not wearing yesterday, then I'm not the least bit surprised." Haley said.

"I seriously think I have a girl crush on you right now." Brooke said. Dan wasn't the only one who was now completely smitten with this girl.

"Brooke." Peyton laughed. Her friend was something else.

"Thanks, but I don't swing that way." Haley joked as the three girls laughed.

"Well, Haley, the reason we came over here was to invite you to come out with us tonight. It looks like you're going to be here for good, and any friend of Nathan's is a friend of ours. And we would like to get to know you better. So, what do you say? Girls night?" Brooke asked.

"Umm, well...you know what, yeah. That sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks." Haley agreed.

"Fabulous!" Brooke exclaimed. Peyton looked to Haley with an apologetic expression as Haley just laughed it off. "So, we will meet at Club Mystic at eleven. Sound good?" Brooke questioned as the two girls nodded in agreement. "Okay, see you then." She said gleefully running off.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Peyton asked jokingly but seriously at the same time.

"Should I be worried?" Haley asked beginning to regret her decision.

"No. Brooke is just a little pushy. But she's such a fun girl and wonderful friend. She really just wants to get to know you. Nathan has kept you pretty much to himself. We didn't even know about you until we heard you were moving back here. This is Vegas. It's almost impossible to keep any secrets as I'm sure you know. But we'll have fun tonight. The thing with Brooke is that you can't back down from her. Be upfront. And if she pushes, you push back. And be prepared for a lot of questions regarding you and Nathan tonight." Peyton warned.

"Great." Haley said sarcastically. "Thanks, Peyton." She said sincerely.

"No problem." Peyton said.

"So, you're known as the Ice Queen." Haley said casually changing the subject.

"And who did you hear that from?" Peyton asked smirking.

"Oh, just around." Haley answered.

"Well, it's true. What can I say? I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch." Peyton said as the two girls laughed.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day flew by pretty quickly. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton were now dancing and drinking at the club. They've been there for about four hours now as it was coming right upon three in the morning. Brooke hadn't really pried too much into the lives of Nathan and Haley much to both Peyton's and Haley's surprise. At the beginning of the night, they just shared a little about themselves. Nothing too personal. They were just getting to know one another. As the drinking continued, the girls found themselves out on the dancefloor. It was safe to say that they were all a little drunk. Little being an understatement.<p>

Nathan, Clay, and Lucas walked into Club Mystic ready to unwind from their day-also because they heard the girls were having themselves a little girls night there. Clay wanted to find a girl to get lucky. Lucas wanted to find Brooke. And Nathan wanted to make sure Haley was surviving and holding her own with Peyton and Brooke. He knew how brutal those girls could be-especially Brooke. Plus, he wanted to spend time with Haley anyway. It wasn't long before they spotted the three girls out on the dancefloor.

Nathan's eyes immediately found Haley and his mouth went dry. She was wearing this yellow strapless tight dress which stopped at her mid-thigh. He couldn't believe how much she's changed and grown in the past six years. He had a hard time believing this was still Haley-his Haley. His tomboy of a best friend. She was absolutely gorgeous. His jaw clenched as he noticed the many guys so blatanly checking her out. His overprotective defenses kicked in as he quickly rushed over to her.

"Nathan! Hey, you're here!" She exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm here." He mocked sarcastically. "Have you been drinking, Hales?" He asked.

"Oh, listen to you, dad. Just a little." She slurred.

"Okay, then." He said.

"Nathan!" Both Brooke and Peyton exclaimed simultaneously rushing over to embrace him in a hug.

"Hey, girls." He greeted as they broke apart. "So, this was your plan? To get her completely trashed." He said incredulously.

"Oh, lighten up, Nathan. Last time I checked, she was your best friend not your girlfriend. I think she can take care of herself." Brooke retorted as Nathan shook his head in frustration.

Soon enough, Lucas and Clay made their way over to them. "Well, well...if it isn't Haley James. Nathan Scott's shadow." Clay joked coming upon them.

"Clay Evans! Oh my gosh, hi!" Haley exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "How are you?" She asked.

"I can't complain. Definitely better now that I've seen your fine ass. Look at you all grown up. I guess, Stanford will do that to you, huh." He commented as she smiled at him while nodding her head.

"And who is this?" Haley asked looking towards the blonde she's never met.

"Haley, this is Lucas Roe. He works with Clay and me up in surveillance and security. Lucas, this is my best friend, Haley James." Nathan introduced as the two shook hands.

"Well, it's definitely nice to finally meet you in person. I've seen pictures of you...dozens of pictures of you." Lucas said smirking towards Nathan who in turn elbowed him roughly.

"Really?" Haley questioned smirking up at Nathan as well who just rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, it's nice to meet you, too, Lucas." She said changing the subject back as he nodded in agreement. Just then, Peyton and Brooke came to stand right in front of them. "Hey, Brooke. You look very sexy tonight." Lucas said.

"Well, duh." Brooke said. "Come on, Lucas, let's go dance." She purred while dragging him out to the middle of the dance-  
>floor.<p>

"I'm going to go get a drink. Do you guys want anything?" Peyton asked. They politely declined as she took off towards the bar.

"Oh, and I am going to go talk to that fine looking girl by the bar." Clay said rushing away.

"Are you having fun, Hales?" Nathan asked once they were all alone.

"So much fun." She answered with her eyes glazed over.

"You are so drunk." He laughed.

"That is true." She agreed.

"Since when did you start drinking? That's not the Haley James I know." He inquired curiously.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Nathan. I'm full of surprises." She smirked.

"Really?" He smiled at her.

"Come dance with me." She requested.

"Oh, no. You know I don't dance, Hales." He declined.

"Please. This is one of my favorite songs. Please, Nathan. I'm your best friend who you haven't seen in six years. Please. For me." She pouted sticking out her bottom lip for overall effect.

"Don't give me that look." He groaned. "Fine." He relented as she squeeled in excitement before leading him out to the dancefloor. Haley placed herself in front of him with her back against his chest while Nathan softly placed his hands on her waist as they began to dance up against one another. Nathan wasn't used to seeing Haley like this so he kind of let her take the lead. He was still trying to wrap his head around everything.

Haley felt herself getting lost in the song and in Nathan's embrace. The whole night has been exactly what she needed and wanted. A night of complete fun and carelessness. Tonight she didn't care about her and Nathan's strained friendship or the news she had been dreading telling him. Tonight-she had no cares at all.

Once the song ended, a slower one began. Nathan tried to make a hasty getaway but Haley stopped him. She pulled him to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck as he did the same to her waist. "This is nice." She said quietly.

"It is." He agreed as a calming feeling washed over them. "Hey, do you remember that time we ran away from home?" He asked after a couple seconds.

"Like I could forget that. What were we...like eight?" She questioned.

"Yup. We were eight years old. It was just when things were starting to get bad with your father." He said.

"That was when he started drinking more and more." She said quietly.

"We were so clueless. We thought we could get by with one pair of clothes each, two cans of coke, and a package of oreos." He said.

"Hey, they were double stuffed oreos. Those would have lasted at least a day." She retorted jokingly as they both laughed.

"We went to our old fort we built a couple years earlier. We were lucky, because we did have a lot of stuff hidden in there including a blanket and a flashlight." He said.

"Yeah, but that blanket was disgusting. I can't believe I even touched that thing. It was covered with dirt and little bugs crawling around it. I almost want to puke just thinking about it." She quivered.

"We just layed there together underneath the covers. You told me about your dad and how he was always drinking and yelling at you. We just layed there and talked until we fell asleep." He said.

"Yup, and then your parents and the police found us early that morning. I have never seen your parents so angry at us. We went back to your house where they proceeded to yell at us about how dangerous and irresponsible we acted. I actually remember being scared of your parents for the first time in my life." She said.

"Yeah, I thought my dad was going to kill us." He said.

"It was worth it, though. That was one of the best nights of my life, Nathan Scott." She said looking up at him.

"Mine, too." He agreed as they shared a small smile. Just then, the song ended forcing them to break apart. "You look exhausted. Are you ready to go home?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think I am." She answered.

"Okay, I'll take you. Let's just go say goodbye to everyone." He said leading her to where everyone else was sitting at a booth next to the bar. "Hey, guys. We're gonna head out. Haley's pretty beat." Nathan said.

"Nooo, Haley. You can't leave yet." Brooke pouted completely intoxicated.

"Sorry, but I'm exhausted. And I'm starting to not feel so well." Haley said.

"Fine." Brooke said standing up to give her a hug goodbye. They said goodbye to everyone else before Nathan led her out of the club and to his car. "There is no way that those two are just friends." Brooke said back in the club.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"Please. Did you see the way they were dancing and looking at one another? They were completely dry humping and having eye sex with one another. You want to know what I think. I think they are both in love with each other, but don't have the balls...well, guts in Haley's case...to admit it." She said.

"You really think so?" Clay asked skeptically. He's known Nathan and Haley since high school. Sure they were inseperable, but there was never any indication that they had feelings for one another. Nathan was always screwing different girls. He just didn't think there were any feelings between them other than a very close friendship. "I don't know, Brooke. I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one." He said.

"I'm so positive that I will bet you five hundred bucks." She proposed.

"Brooke, how about we sober you up before you agree to anything." Peyton jumped in.

"No, P. Sawyer. Look, I may be drunk, but I'm definitely coherent. I can read people, and I can read their body language. Those two are totally, completely, one hundred percent in love with one another. I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. The question is, are you?" Brooke challenged.

"Okay, sure. You've got yourself a bet." Clay agreed sticking his hand out to her which she graciously accepted as they closed their deal. "Game on, Brooke Davis." He smirked.

"Game on, Clay Evans." She repeated smirking right back at him.

**There you go. I know-don't kill me about Haley not revealing her news. It's coming very soon! I had to reveal a couple other things this chapter to set up for the moment when Nathan and Haley talk about it. Let me know what you guys think. I should have another chapter up-I'm hoping on Saturday. Until then!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I have two things to apologize for. One-I'm sorry I didn't get this out to you guys earlier today. I really had every intention of doing so, but I'm sick. It's my nephew's first birthday today, but the party's tomorrow. I refuse to be sick for his first party! So, I've been taking several different pills and medicine (and I don't ever take medicine!) to help me feel at least better for tomorrow. That brings me to reason number two-I'm a little drowsy and out of it, so this chapter didn't come out quite like I wanted it to. I apologize if it kind of sucks. I could have worked a little harder on it, but you probably wouldn't have received it until Sunday then. And I didn't want to make you guys wait that long. So, I just wanted to warn you and apologize to you guys if it does in fact suck!**

"Haley." Nathan called out as he placed a bottle of water and two aspirins on her nightstand. He looked over to her and noticed she hadn't moved an inch. "Haley." He tried again a tad more forcefully.

"Go away, Nathan." He heard her mumble.

He chuckled before sitting on the bed next to her. "Sorry, Hales, but you have to get up. You have to be at work in a couple of hours." He said.

"Tell Dan I quit." She groaned into her pillow.

"Sorry, no can do. Come on, time to get up." He ordered.

After a few seconds, Haley finally made the motion to get up. She rolled over in her bed and forced her eyes open immediately squinting at the brightness of the sun beaming through the window. She let her eyes adjust until locking eyes with Nathan. He handed her the two aspirins and the water. "Thank you." She managed to get out. She swallowed the pills before leaning back against the headboard and closing her eyes. The room was spinning and her head was pounding.

"Regretting girls night just a little bit, are we, Hales?" He joked.

"Just a bit." She admitted quietly. "Did you stay here last night?" She asked with her eyes still closed.

"Yeah. I was too exhausted to drive all the way back to my apartment so I slept in my old bedroom. I figured I could give you a ride into work." He said as she nodded. "But to do that, I need you to get out of bed, take a shower and get dressed, and eat some breakfast." He said slapping her blanket covered leg lightly before standing up. "Come on. Chop, chop." He said.

"I'm coming." She groaned pushing her blanket off of her as he helped her climb out of the bed.

"Okay, I'm going to go cook us something while you take a shower. Meet me downstairs when you're done." He said turning to leave.

"I hate you." She shot out.

"And I love you." He called out as he walked out of the bedroom. She rolled her eyes laughing slightly before disappearing into her bathroom.

Half an hour later, Haley entered the kitchen showered and dressed for the day. "Something smells good." She commented causing Nathan to turn towards her. "It is good. Come and sit down. Breakfast is served." He announced setting a plate for both her and himself at the table.

"Is Dan at the casino?" She asked taking a bite of her food.

"Yes, he is. You know my dad-all work." He said.

"Where's Deb?" She asked noticing his mom missing.

"She is away at the spa for the day. I don't get what she could even be doing there for a whole day." He said.

"Oh, there's plenty to do at a spa. There are facials and massages and so many other things. It's amazingly relaxing and very theraputic. You know, you and I should go to one someday. You'd be surprised. I think you would really enjoy it." She suggested.

"I'll take your word for it." He declined.

"Well, you're definitely missing out." She said.

"So, what did you girls do before we arrived?" He asked.

"Not much really. We just talked, drank, and danced." She answered.

"Well, what did you talk about?" He asked.

"We just got to know one another." She replied.

"Did Brooke go crazy with questions about you and me?" He questioned nervously. He didn't want Brooke to go prying into their business.

"Actually, no. Peyton warned me that she might, but your name didn't even come up once." She said.

"Wow, I feel loved." He joked. "But that's good. Brooke tends to be a little pushy and very upfront." He said.

"So I've noticed. She's really nice, though. Peyton, too. We had so much fun last night, Nathan. It was nice to just go out and have no cares whatsoever. And I'm glad you guys came, too. It was nice hanging out with and getting to know everyone from work. Everyone's seems so friendly." She said.

"Yeah, we are all pretty good friends. You're going to fit in great there. They all already really like you. And Clay was really excited when I told him you were working there. He thought I was joking at first." He said.

"It was so good to see him. However, the next time I talk to him, I prefer to be a little more sober." She said.

"You know, that was the first time I have ever seen you drunk." He stated.

"Oh gosh, that's right. I'm sorry, Nathan." She said somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't be. You were fine and entertaining. I guess, I'm still getting used to how you are now." He said.

"What do you mean, how I am now?" She asked nervously.

"I just...I mean...it's just that you're all grown up so to speak. You're still the same Haley, but you've changed a bit, too." He stammered trying to find the right way to describe it.

"How have I changed?" She asked intrigued.

"I don't know, Hales." He groaned annoyed.

"Well, you can't say something like that to me and expect me to not want to know what you mean. I mean, how am I different from who I was before. I know I've changed. I just want to know how you think I've changed." She said.

"Well, the drinking for one. In high school, you wouldn't touch a drop of alcohol. And now, it's no big deal. And the way you dress. You're showing off your body more." He began.

"Oh my gosh, do you think I'm dressing like a slut?" She asked in a panic.

"No, no...that's not what I mean, Hales." He said quickly trying to calm her down which seemed to be working, but she still looked at him urging him to continue. "I just meant that you're not so shy anymore. You seem to have more of a confidense in your body and image. It looks good. Yo...you look good." He admitted quietly causing her to blush slightly.

"Thank you." She said softly as they shared a small smile.

* * *

><p>"You move awfully fast, don't you?" Haley looked up instantly recognizing that scratchy voice and locked eyes with the fiery red-head. She inwardly rolled her eyes wondering what the hell this girl was going on about. "What are you talking about?" She asked tiredly.<p>

"Nathan." Rachel said.

"What about Nathan?" Haley asked confused.

"I saw you two this morning-arriving together in his car and walking into the casino. You've been here for three days and you're already moving in on your coworkers. I can't say I'm surprised, though. One look at you, and I knew instantly you were a slut." Rachel said smugly.

"And how many coworkers have you been with?" Haley asked as Rachel glared at her. "Look, I don't know you, and I'm not one to make assumptions about people I don't know. But I've heard stories about you, and I find it quite funny that you're accusing me of being a slut. From what I hear, Nathan's not the only coworker you've been with." She continued.

"I'm just trying to do the right thing and warn you about Nathan's MO. He doesn't do relationships. He does sex. So, if you're looking for love, you might as well move on and look elsewhere. You aren't going to find it with him." Rachel said.

"Not that it's any of your business or that I give a damn what you think about me, but Nathan and I are just friends. We have known each other our whole lives, and we've been best friends forever." Haley said.

"Right. And I'm supposed to believe that?" Rachel snarled.

"I don't care what you believe. I just think you should stop wasting your time 'warning' me about Nathan. Besides, why do you care? Are you still pissed that he broke things off with you?" Haley retaliated.

"Did Nathan tell you that?" Rachel asked.

"It doesn't really matter who told me what. But just so you know, I know Nathan a hell of a lot better than you ever will. For example, Nathan hates it when girls call him Natey. I learned that our sophomore year of high school when one of the girls he was sleeping with then called him that. He used to complain to me all the time about it." Haley said catching Rachel slightly off-gaurd. "Listen, I don't care what you do or are to Nathan. He and I are just friends. But now I'm going to try to do the right thing for you. Stop trying so hard with him, because quite frankly, it's making you look pathetic and desperate." Haley said before turning around and walking away leaving behind an irrate Rachel.

Haley made her way into the ballroom to finish the final touches for the concert being held on Saturday. The Black Eyed Peas were scheduled to arrive on the following day and everything was going real smoothly so far, and Haley wanted to keep it that way. She walked in and saw Nathan standing next to the stage and made her way over to him. "Hey, what brings you here? You're not checking in on me are you?" She questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I am." He admitted as they shared a smile. "I just wanted to see how everything's coming along for the show. I need to know details of the concert for security purposes." He said.

"Did you get the information you needed?" She asked.

"Yes, I did. So, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"You mean, is my hangover cooperating with me?" She asked as he nodded. "I feel great actually. I think it was your breakfast. It did the trick."

"Works everytime." He smirked.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to ask you something. Are you busy tonight around five o'clock?" She asked.

"No, I don't think so. Why?" He asked.

"I'm apartment hunting. I found one that sounds good, but I need to go check it out. I was just wondering if you would maybe want to go with me." She said.

"Of course, I would. But why are you looking for an apartment?" He asked.

"Well, I can't live with your parents forever." She said.

"I know that, even though I don't think my parents would mind. If they had it their way, I think we'd both be living in that house until the day we died." He said.

"You're probably right." She agreed as they both laughed.

"I just meant that you just moved back home. You haven't even been in town a whole week. Take some time to adjust to your new job and everything. What's the rush?" He asked.

"I, umm...I just would like my own place. I need my own place." She said and was relieved when he didn't press the issue any further.

"Okay, well, how about we meet out at the entrance around five, and I'll drive." He suggested.

"Sounds good to me." She agreed.

* * *

><p>Nathan and Haley arrived at the apartment building ten minutes ago and were currently looking at the apartment she saw online. "I really like it. What do you think, Nathan?" She asked.<p>

"It's nice." He answered.

"That didn't sound very convincing." She retorted.

"Well, how do you want me to sound, Hales?" He laughed.

"I don't know. How about just a tiny bit more ecstatic." She said.

"Oh my gosh, I love it!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

"Better-though I don't appreciate the sarcasm." She quipped as he rolled his eyes. "I think this is the one. Do you think I should get it?" She asked.

"It's your choice, Hales." He said.

"Nathan, I asked you to come for you honest opinion. If this was how you were going to react, I would have just come by myself. Please tell me what you think." She pleaded.

"Fine. I really like it, Hales. I think it would be perfect for you. And I think you should get it." He said sincerely.

"Yah! I was hoping you would say that." She exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck in excitement.

A couple hours later, Haley had signed the lease and paid the first and last as well as the security deposit. She and Nathan had ordered a pizza and were now just sitting on the floor in the living room of the apartment talking. "So, when's the party?" He joked as they started cleaning up their mess.

"Nathan." She began.

Nathan turned towards her catching the serious way she said his name. "Yeah, what's up?"

"There was another reason why I asked you to come with me tonight. I have to tell you something. I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now, but we keep getting interrupted or I keep putting it off. But I have to tell you." She said.

"Okay, what's going on? You can tell me anything." He said.

"I met someone while I was at Stanford. We have been dating for close to two years now." She said.

"Wow. Two years-it must be pretty serious." He said still trying to process the information.

"Yeah, it is. His name is Julian, and he's a really great guy, Nathan. He's finishing his final semester in grad school for journalism." She said.

"That's impressive. It has to be hard with him living in California, though. I'm not trying to upset you or anything, but how is that going to work? I mean, the long distance thing can't be easy." He said.

"It's not, but it's only for just a few more months." She said.

"What's that mean?" He asked alarmed.

"He's moving here in January once he's done at Stanford." She informed him.

"That's quite a sacrifice." He commented. The truth was that he was just relieved she didn't have any plans for moving back to California.

"Nathan, I'm getting married." She revealed quietly.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

"I'm getting married." She repeated looking into his shocked eyes and watched as he turned away from her. She waited for him to say something- anything. Minutes went by, and he still said nothing. "Nathan, will you please say something?" She pleaded.

"Do my parents know?" He asked.

"No. I wanted to tell you first before anyone else." She answered.

"How long?" He asked surprising her with the harsh tone of his voice.

"How long what?" She question confused.

"How long have you been engaged?" He clearified.

"Six months." She answered carefully.

"And you're just telling me now!" He yelled incredulously.

"I wanted to tell you in person. This isn't the type of thing you tell your best friend over the phone or through a letter." She said.

"Oh, so you were just thinking of me." He bit out sarcastically.

"What the hell is your problem?" She retorted.

"You! You're my problem! You've been dating someone for two years, and this is the first time I've ever heard about him. And now, you tell me that he proposed to you six months ago and you accepted, and you're just telling me now. I'm your best friend. Don't you think I deserved to know about this guy?" He exclaimed.

"Like you tell me about the numerous girls you're screwing here." She retaliated.

"I'm not getting married to any of them, Haley! And if I was, I sure as hell would have told you!" He yelled.

"Like you told me you were leaving for the Marines." She countered feeling her anger rising.

"Don't do that. Don't bring up the past in justifying your actions now." He said.

"Why not? Because last time, it was your fault. We can't talk about when you were wrong, but we can when you claim I'm doing something wrong. Unlike you, I told you the truth. I wanted to do it in person, because you're my best friend. And I thought you deserved that. I wasn't a coward like you. I didn't run away." She said.

"I didn't run away. I had every intention of telling you, Haley. That night I was going to tell you." He said.

"When? Before or after we slept together?" She exclaimed.

"I didn't plan on that happening." He said.

"Well, it did. And then the next morning, I woke up and you were gone. You just left. You had every opportunity to tell me, but you never did." She said as she started to cry. "You left me, Nathan."

"I'm sorry, Haley. I don't know what else to say other than I'm so sorry. What do you want me to say?" He asked.

"Right now, I want you to congratulate me and tell me you're happy for me. I want you to be my best friend and be here for me like you swore you always would." She cried softly.

Nathan watched her for a couple seconds. He didn't know what to say to her. Was he happy for her? He couldn't really explain what he was feeling but happiness definitely wasn't it. A part of him felt horrible for that. She's his best friend, and he shouldn't be feeling this way. But he couldn't control his emotions right now. Guilt swept through his body as he watched her stare at him with tears running down her face waiting for him to respond. Her eyes were begging him to say what she wanted to hear. All of these overwhelming feelings hit him, and he needed to get out of there. "Congratulations, Haley." He said half-heartedly before rushing out the door.

Haley stared at his retreating form and flinched as the door slammed shut. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She knew telling him wasn't going to be easy. But she didn't expect him to act like that. She thought he would just be a little shocked at first. She fell to the floor as she let all of her tears fall freely.

**Okay, I know I said Rachel isn't going to play a big part in this story, and I still am saying she isn't. But that doesn't mean she and Haley can snark at one another from time to time. I always loved when they did that on the show.**

**I know I've been spoiling you guys with these daily updates, but I can tell you, you probably won't get one tomorrow. As I said, my nephew's birthday party is tomorrow. And he's also getting dedicated at church, and I'm going to be out of town at my sister's house literally all day. But I should be back on Sunday with another update-might be later, though. And hopefully, I'll be feeling better, too. So, let me know what you think. And if it did suck, please keep in mind that I'm not feeling well as well as drowsy and be gentle. LOL! Anyway, until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone! I'm back for an update. I had an amazing day with my family celebrating my nephew's first birthday, and I'm feeling better. I'm still a little tired but definitely better.**

**Thanks for all of your guys' reviews. I know Julian was expected for some of you-others not so much. This is a Naley story I will remind you guys. But it's going to be a journey to get Nathan and Haley from "friends" to something more. They have a complicated history which makes them both unable to admit their feelings. There won't be a lot of focus on the Julian/Haley relationship. And I won't write any love scenes between them. I can't do that myself, and I know you guys don't want to read that. I hate reading stories that go into detail about when Nathan and Haley are with other people.**

**There will be a flashback to the night they slept together, but not quite yet. Also, someone questioned whether it was Haley's first time when they slept together. In a way, yes, but technically no. She was molested by her father when she was younger, so she technically isn't a virgin. But I've always been the type of person who believes that until you give it away willingly, you are still a virgin. Maybe that's just me. So, I kind of wrote Haley the same way. She still considers herself a virgin. There might be some flashbacks to that particular time in her life as well with Nathan, Dan, and Deb. They were all affected by what happened to Haley, and I want to maybe show some different points of view of things. ****And I also realized I put in the first chapter how she was a virgin, so I understand now why that may have been confusing to some people.**

**But anyway, here's the next chapter. Read it and let me know what you think!**

Haley walked through the front door as quietly as she could trying not to disturb Dan or Deb. All she wanted to do was get to her bedroom to take a shower, get dressed, and leave for work. She didn't want to see anyone, and she didn't want to talk to anyone. She held her shoes in her hands as she tiptoed her way towards the staircase. Reaching the first step, she closed her eyes when she heard him clear his throat. Taking a second, she turned around to face the questioning eyes of Dan Scott. "Hey, Dan." She greeted with a fake smile which anyone could have caught.

"And where were you?" He asked.

"Out." She said vaguely praying that he would accept that as a good enough answer.

"Haley James, I know you're not trying to weasel your way out of this one. Where were you last night?" He asked sternly but calmly.

"I stayed the night at my new apartment." She revealed carefully.

"I'm sorry, your what?" He asked not sure if he heard her correctly.

"I signed a lease for a new apartment last night." She confirmed.

"I didn't know you were looking. I thought you wanted to settle in more before finding your own place." He stated.

"I started looking while I was in California. I just wanted to get a job first before actually getting one."

"You didn't go and look at this apartment by yourself, did you?" He asked.

"No, I didn't. Nathan came with me. Don't worry, it's in a nice neighborhood, and it's very secure and safe. It's a clean apartment and worth the price. If you don't believe me, you can check it out for yourself." She assured him.

"I believe you. And even if I didn't, I trust Nathan. I know he wouldn't let you live anywhere he didn't feel was safe." He said. "I don't want you to go, Haley James. First, my baby decides to go away to school in California. And now, she's moving into her own apartment. She's all grown up." He said embracing her in a hug. Haley felt a wave of nervousness pass through her body. She knew she had to tell Dan and Deb about Julian. They were going to find out sooner or later. But after the way Nathan reacted, she was terrified. All she needed was just one person to congratulate her and sincerely mean it. The person she needed the most, though, reacted the complete opposite.

"Is Deb home?" She asked breaking out of their embrace.

"Yeah, she's in the kitchen. Why?" He asked.

"I need to talk to you guys about something." She said.

Dan watched her face and heard the seriousness of her voice. He knew whatever she had to talk to them about was pretty important. He grew a tad concerned. He quickly called for Deb to come into the living room.

"Hey, Haley. And where have you been, missy?" Deb asked teasingly while placing her hands on her hip.

"Deb, Haley said she has to talk to us about something." Dan said.

"What is it? What's wrong? What happened?" Deb started rambling.

"It's not bad considering how you look at it, but maybe you guys should sit down." Haley suggested. Dan and Deb shared a glance with one another before taking a seat on the sofa. Haley began pacing small steps back and forth in front of them while mentally preparing herself. The sound of Dan's voice asking her to talk broke her out of her thoughts. She stopped pacing and turned to look at them. "Okay, I met someone two years ago. His name is Julian Baker, and we instantly hit it off. He's from Stanford, and he's currently in his last semester of grad school for journalism. Anyway, we've been dating for the about twenty months now...so basically, two years." She began as they looked at her surprised.

"Wow. So, this is pretty serious, then?" Dan questioned.

"It is. The thing is we...we, umm...we're getting married." She revealed.

"What?" Dan and Deb asked simaltaneously.

"I'm getting married." Haley repeated.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! This is so exciting!" Deb exclaimed as she jumped up from the sofa and about tackled Haley in a tight hug. "When do we get to meet him?" She asked.

"Well, he's going to be visiting either next week or the week after. His schedule is kind of busy right now, and he's not sure which week he's going to get a break." Haley answered.

"Wait! You're not going to be moving back to California, are you?" Deb questioned alarmed.

"No. He's done with his degree in January, and then, he's moving here." Haley answered causing a wave of relief to pass through both Dan and Deb's bodies. Haley turned to Dan who was still sitting on the couch trying to process the information. "Dan?" She questioned capturing his attention. She watched as he stood up and walked over to them.

"I just have two questions for you." He began as she nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue. "Do you love him?"

"Yes, I do. Very much." She answered.

"Does he treat you right and with respect?" He asked.

"Yes, he does. He's a perfect gentleman." She said.

"Okay, then. I guess congratulations are in order." He said as she smiled gratefully at him before they embraced in a hug.

"Thank you, Dan." She said quietly as a couple tears fell from her eyes.

Still high from the excitement, Deb announced she had a dozen calls to make and vanished out of their sight causing both Dan and Haley to roll their eyes and laugh.

"So...I'm guessing you told Nathan." Dan said carefully once they were all alone.

"Yeah, I did." She confirmed sadly.

"He didn't take it too well." He deduced by the tone of her voice.

"You could say that." She said.

"He's afraid he's gonna lose you." He said.

"But he won't." She said with certainty.

"Probably not, but he's not so sure. His whole life has always revolved around you. And now, he's going to have to share you with another man. A man who loves you and is going to spend the rest of his life with you. Nathan has always been the number one guy in your life, and he's not used to sharing. And he definitely doesn't like to share. Just give him some time, sweetie. He'll come around." He assured her.

"But what if he doesn't?" Haley questioned looking at him abruptly. "I can't lose him, Dan. And I can't do this without him. I'm scared and nervous and excited and so many things. I need him." She admitted.

"I know. But you know what I also know..." He began as she waited for him to continue. "Nathan needs you just as much. And that's why he'll come around. You know Nathan-he bottles everything up. It just takes him a little more time than normal to adjust to things." He said.

"He never used to bottle anything up with me. He always told me everything. And I guess, I'm just scared of losing that. I don't know, maybe a part of me feels like we've already lost that special connection we used to share. We've been apart for six years. That's a long time." She said.

"Six years is a long time. But twenty-four years is even longer. You and Nathan have been inseparable since you were born. Gosh, I don't think there was ever a time you were growing up when you weren't together. You and Nathan have always shared this unbreakable bond, Haley. And nothing will ever come between it. Six years is nothing compared to your whole lives." He said as she nodded her head slightly. "Haley, why didn't you ever tell us you were dating someone? Especially considering how serious the relationship is." He asked.

"Mainly because of Nathan. At first, I wanted to see if this thing with Julian was real before I told you guys. And when I realized it was real, the first person who popped into my mind was Nathan." She said.

Nathan layed in his bed staring up at his ceiling. It's what he's been doing since he returned back to his apartment. So many thoughts passed through his brain, and he couldn't control them. He kept replaying everything that happened with Haley the previous night. He couldn't believe she was getting married. This was Haley-his Haley. She's been the single most important person in his life to him. He didn't want to lose her. And that's exactly how he felt when she said those words to him.

He had so many questions plagueing him. How was he supposed to react? What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Should he be happy for her? Is he even happy for her? And the truth was that he didn't have an answer to a single one of them. The one that plagued him the most was whether or not he was happy for her. This was his best friend. If this were any normal circumstances of best friends, the answer would be yes without question. But their entire relationship changed the night before he left for the Marines. Ever since that night, nothing about their friendship was normal anymore.

He remembered that night so vividly. He remembered every detail-the way she looked, the way she smelled. He remembered the incredible sounds that fell from her mouth and the way she moaned his name. He couldn't deny the pride he felt when he knew it was all because of him. He remembered staring into her big, beautiful brown eyes as he hovered above her. She looked up at him with such passion and innocence. He remembered the contours of her face as she reached her peak and came down from her high. He remembered it all.

But he was also haunted by that night. Remembering every detail only made his life much more complicated. That was the start of when he began fantasizing about her in a way a best friend most definitely shouldn't be fantasizing. Every girl he dated or slept with since was always compared to her in his mind. And not a single girl has measured up to her yet. He found himself picturing her when he was with other girls. A couple times, he shamefully remembered calling out her name rather than the girl he was with. She was like this plague who haunted him day and night.

He didn't know what any of this meant. He didn't know if it was only physical or emotional as well. He didn't understand any of these feelings and now with this bomb she dropped on him, it only made things worse. He knew he reacted somewhat harshly after she told him. And he knew he shouldn't have just take off like he had, but he had to. He had to get away from her and collect himself. When did a simple friendship turn into something so complicated? He didn't know or have any answers, but he did know one thing. He couldn't lose her. She was his everything, and he couldn't let that go. He just didn't know to what extent those words meant.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Nathan, do you know where your father is?" Brooke asked as she caught up with him on the casino floor.<p>

"No." He answered shortly.

"Well, I need him to approve a line of credit for me." She said.

"Then, go find him. I'm not his keeper." He bit out harshly.

"Whoa, what's your problem? You've been angry all day today. What's going on?" She asked.

"Noth..." He was interrupted when Haley approached them.

"Hi." She greeted timidly while locking eyes with him. He didn't saying anything back. He just looked at her.

"Hey, Haley." Brooke greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Brooke." Haley said sending a small smile her way before turning back towards Nathan. "Can I talk to you?" She asked.

"Sorry, but I have to go find my dad for Brooke. I'll have to talk to you later." He rushed out before hastily walking away.

"Don't mind him. He's been in a mood all day." Brooke said. "So, what's up, girly?" She asked changing the subject.

"Not too much. Actually, I did want to ask you something." Haley said.

"Shoot." Brooke replied.

"Well, I got an apartment last night, and I was wondering if you would like to help me pick out some furniture and stuff. I think we might share similar styles with one another." Haley said.

"Yes, I would love to! You know, if I didn't love my job, I would totally be into interior decorating. Oh, and you should ask Peyton to paint for you. She's an amazing artist. She painted the wall in my living room of the Italian Riviera. It's really good. She'll do anything you want." Brooke said.

"Thanks, Brooke. I really appreciate it." Haley said.

"When are you moving in?" Brooke asked.

"I'm going to start tonight, actually. I don't have too much stuff to pack up. I basically have to buy all of my furniture. I just have my clothes and a few other things I want to take with me. Everything else, I'm going to leave at Dan and Deb's house. I already ordered a bedroom set. I'm having it delivered tonight. I'm hoping to have everything finished on Sunday." Haley replied.

"Do you any help tonight?" Brooke asked.

"No. I'm good tonight. Are you free to go shopping on Sunday morning?" Haley asked.

"Absolutely." Brooke answered.

Nathan walked into the surviellance room causing everyone to stop talking. He's been in a grouchy mood all day, and none of them wanted to deal with him. Even Clay and Lucas got their heads bit off by him earlier. They all knew it was best to just stear clear of him whenever possible. They all watched as he walked straight to his desk and turned on his computer without saying a single word.

"Nathan." Dan called from his office.

"What?" Nathan asked without prying his eyes from the computer screen.

"Get in here. I need to talk to you." Dan said. Nathan rolled his eyes before standing up and making his way into his father's office and waited as Dan closed the door behind them.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked.

"First, I want you to chuck the attitude." Dan warned sternly. "And second, sit down. I want to talk to you." He said as he walked around to the other side of his desk and took a seat while Nathan sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "So, Haley told your mother and me about the apartment and about the engagement." Dan began carefully.

"Good for her." Nathan bit out sarcastically.

"Look, I know this must be hard for you, but..."

"It's not hard. Haley's getting married. It's as simple as that." Nathan interrupted showing no emotion.

"If that's the case, what's with the attitude? And why are you ignoring her?" Dan countered.

"I'm not ignoring her. I've just been busy today." Nathan said.

"No, you're ignoring her. Nathan, Haley's your best friend. She has been your whole life. She's taking a pretty big step in her life right now, and she needs all of our support. She needs you." Dan said.

"She has Julian." Nathan gritted out.

"What's really going on with you, Nathan?" Dan questioned softly.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Can I get back to work now?" Nathan asked.

"Sure." Dan said as Nathan quickly stood up from the chair and headed towards the door.

"Nathan, I'm here if you want to talk about it. When you want to tell me what is really bothering you, I'll be here. I just hope you figure it out before it's too late." Dan called out while Nathan rushed out of the office. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" He said shaking his head while glancing at a picture of Nathan and Haley that was framed on his desk.

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend flew by quickly for Haley. It was just approaching midnight on Sunday night. Peyton, Brooke, and Deb had left a couple hours earlier. The four of them basically worked nonstop to finish the apartment. Haley was just adding some finishing touches. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Nathan walk into her bedroom. "Hey." He greeted.<p>

"God!" She exclaimed jumping back. She closed her eyes for a brief second and placed her hand over her heart. "What the hell, Nathan? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She asked catching her breath.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized.

"How did you get in here?" She asked and watched as he held up his hand which was holding a key.

"You need to find a better place to hide the spare key." He said smirking slightly at her while handing the key over to her.

"I'll do that. Thank you." She said putting the key on top of her dresser before turning back towards him. "So, what are you doing here?" She asked quietly. He's been ignoring her since she told him the truth. Anytime she approached him, he went in the other direction. Anytime she tried to talk to him, he made up some excuse to leave.

"I'm sorry I've been ignoring you." He said sincerely.

"It's okay." She said softly.

"And I'm sorry for just taking off on you like that the other day. I was just shocked by your news, and I didn't know what to say to you." He said.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I'm sorry I never told you about Julian." She apologized.

"This Julian guy-do you love him?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes." She answered quietly.

"And you want to be with him and get married?" He asked.

"Yes." She repeated.

"Then, I'm happy for you." He said.

"Really?" She questioned surprised.

"Really. Congratulations, Hales." He said sincerely. He watched as she wrapped her arms around his waist and plastered her body against his. He quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Nathan. I really need you right now." She mumbled.

"The apartment looks nice." He commented after they broke apart a few seconds later.

"Thanks. Your mom, Brooke, and Peyton helped me today." She said. She noticed him looking at something on her dresser and realized it was the black velvet jewelry box which held her engagement ring. She quickly grabbed it and went to tuck it into one of the drawers when she felt his hand stop her. She turned towards him as he reached and took the box out of her hands and opened it revealing a three-carot diamond ring. "It's a nice ring." He said.

"Thank you." She said.

"It's not really you or what you wanted your engagement ring to look like." He commented.

"Well, things change. People change. What we want for the future changes." She said an an uncomfortable silence fell over them. She watched as he reached for her left hand. "People who are engaged typically wear their rings." He said while sliding the ring onto her finger. Once it was on, he just held onto her hand staring at the ring for a few seconds. He moved his eyes up to hers. "It is a really nice ring, Haley." He said sincerely.

"Thanks." She said prying her hand out of his.

He moved over to her wall where some pictures were hanging. He smiled when he saw a collage of photos of the two of them. There was another frame with the word family written above a picture of Dan, Deb, Haley, and him. There were a few more pictures of who he assumed were some friends from Stanford. He stopped when his eyes landed on a picture of Haley with another guy. They had their arms wrapped around one another smiling at the camera. "Is this Julian?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah."

"Do I get to meet him sometime soon?" He asked.

"He's going to be coming for a visit either this week or next. He's really excited to meet you." She said.

"So, he knows about me?" He questions.

"Of course, he does. When we were still friends but becoming more, he saw all of the pictures of us. He asked me who you were, and I told him all about you. I went on and on about you. There's no way I would marry a guy without telling him about the most important person in mine." She answered smiling at him.

"But that's going to change soon." He commented.

"Nathan, you will always be important to me. Nothing will ever change that. Yes, I'm getting married to Julian. And yes, he is very important to me. And you're right, things will change slightly between us. But you will always be a part of my life. A two year relationship and a marriage can't erase a twenty-four year friendship. I won't let it. I love you, Nathan." She said.

"I love you, too, Haley." He said embracing her in a tight hug.

**Okay, there you guys go. I should have another chapter up soon. Either next chapter or the one after, Julian will be coming to Las Vegas for a visit. Expect some jealous Nathan! Also, I'm going to be writing some more scenes between Dan and Nathan. I want to show their relationship and how Dan really does support Nathan. I've been showing Dan and Haley's relationship, and I want to do the same for Dan and Nathan. So, anyway, let me know what you think. And until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Haley smiled as she walked through the casino floor. Ever since her talk with Nathan, she was feeling so much better and carefree. She felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Everything was out in the open, and she was grateful for it. She knew things weren't perfect between Nathan and her, but things were getting better. She felt like they were reconnecting and rediscovering their friendship.

She still hasn't told anyone else about her engagement other than Dan, Deb, and Nathan. She asked the three of them to keep it between them right now. She was still considered the "new" girl, and she didn't really want to make a big deal about it and draw attention to herself. And by how much she knows about Brooke already, she knew Brooke would turn it into a big deal. She also knew Nathan was still trying to adjust to the news himself. Things were going good for them right now, and she didn't want to mess that up.

She looked up and smiled when she saw Nathan and Peyton looking at some device in Nathan's hands. "Hey." She greeted as she approached the two.

"Hey, Haley." Peyton greeted.

"Hey." Nathan greeted a tad distracted.

"What do you have there?" Haley asked pointing to the device.

"This is a sensor detector. It can detect if someone is using any type of cheating device." Peyton answered.

"Oh, okay, then." Haley said.

"Yeah, it's all high-tech. Something that you probably wouldn't be familiar with." Nathan said.

"Hey!" Haley exclaimed as she lightly shoved him.

"Oh, I'm just messing with you, Hales." He laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, are you detecting anything?" She asked.

"No. He has to be using some other cheating technique." He said.

"Who are you talking about?" She asked finding herself somewhat fascinated.

"The guy at table seven. The one wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. He's up almost seven hundred thousand." He answered.

"Wow. That's not good." She commented as Nathan looked at her with a "duh" kind of expression. "What?" She asked while shrugging her shoulders causing him to let out a small laugh.

"Do you think he's working with someone?" Peyton asked.

"That would be my guess. I'm going to head back up to the surviellance room to check the cameras. You keep your eye on him down here." He said.

"Okay." Peyton agreed.

"I'll talk to you later, okay?" He said to Haley while kissing her on the forehead as she nodded.

Peyton couldn't help but smile at Nathan and Haley. She was starting to see where Brooke was coming from. Nathan was very affectionate towards Haley. She's never seen him act so attentive to anyone before. She noticed the way his face lit up when she walked into a room. And whenever one of them left, he always gave her a kiss on the forehead or touched her in some way.

"See you later, Peyton." Nathan said breaking her from her thoughts.

"Later." She said.

"Well, I better let you get back to work catching the bad guys." Haley said.

"Hey, don't forget about tonight. We're all meeting at Mystic." Peyton reminded her.

"Like I could forget. Brooke only mentions it every second I'm around her." Haley laughed before walking away.

* * *

><p>Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Lucas, Peyton, Jake, Clay, and Mouth were all enjoying a nice dinner at Mystic. Both the alcohol and the conversations were flowing. Haley was developing a close friendship with everyone, and she was so grateful for that. Even though she's lived in Vegas her whole life, she was now considered the "new" girl. She was new to the group-well, to everyone but Nathan and Clay. She was surprised at how quickly she fit into their group. At first, she thought it was due to her friendship with Nathan, but now she didn't think that.<p>

Each one had their own unique personality. Peyton was the "tortured artist". She was very broody and dark. She was sarcastic and witty. She didn't give a damn what anyone thought about her. And Haley definitely understood why she was known as the Ice Queen. However, she was friendly and loveable. She was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. She was quickly becoming one of Haley's best friends.

Brooke was the "prom queen" of the group. She was a social butterfly who wanted to be loved by everyone. She wore nothing but designer. Her hair was always done to perfection as well as her makeup. She was snarky and bitchy. She walked into a room and all eyes were on her-specifically the males. She was beautiful with an amazing body. She knew it, and she flaunted it. But she did it in a classy way. She had a bubbly personality that you couldn't help but love. She was also becoming one of Haley's best friends.

Lucas was the quiet, more sensative one of the group. He was broody like Peyton and was somewhat of a "loner". Haley learned that he loved to read. Something they shared in common. They had agreed to get together for a book club which of course brought on the teasing and sarcastic remarks by their other friends, but they didn't care.

Mouth was like the "little brother" to the group. He was incredibly smart-graduating top in his class at MIT. You need to decode anything or find anything on a computer-he was your guy. He was dependable and easy to talk to.

She had just met Jake tonight, but he seemed really nice. He was kind of quiet. He seemed incredibly sweet and sensative. He was easy to talk to and funny as well as witty.

She's known Clay since high school, and he appeared to be the exact same. He was kind of a "manwhore" for lack of a better term. He liked his women and didn't have a problem admitting it. He was cocky and irrigant but friendly and funny. Even though he ran with the popular kids back in high school, Haley was friends with him. He was one of Nathan's friends who Haley knew wasn't being nice to her because of Nathan or because he felt bad for her. He was just in general a nice guy.

Haley reached to her left with her fork and dug into Nathan's pasta engulfing a huge mouthful. "Haley! What the heck? Eat your own food." Nathan exclaimed.

"Mine's all gone." She said.

"You ate all of that?" He questioned incredulously.

"I was hungry." She said smiling innocently up at him as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Why don't you get some dessert, then? It's my treat." He suggested.

"Well, why didn't you say that earlier?" She said immediately pulling out a dessert menu.

"How can such a little girl like you eat so much?" He asked redundantly while she scanned the menu paying no attention to him at all. He grabbed his beer from the table and took a drink of it. A second later, he felt her loop her arm through his and saddled closer into his side. "What should I get, Nathan? Everything sounds so amazing." She said.

"Their chocolate mint cheesecake is good. But I know how much you love chocolate-I would get their triple layer fudge cake. It's served with a side of vanilla ice cream. It's pretty amazing." He suggested.

"Will you share it with me?" She asked.

"Me? The better question is will you actually share it with me?" He asked as she lightly slapped him on his chest as they both laughed. "Yes, I'll share it with you, Hales." He answered.

"Thank you." She said placing her menu down on the table. She took a sip of her wine before resting her head against his shoulder.

"Are you tired?" He asked kissing her on her forehead.

"No. I'm great." She said.

Brooke, who was sitting across from Haley, smirked at the sight in front of her. She discreetly caught Peyton's attention, who was on Haley's other side, and motioned towards Nathan and Haley. Peyton sent her a knowing smile as the two girls laughed.

"What's so funny?" Haley asked intrigued.

"Oh, nothing you need to be concerned with at the moment." Brooke said causing Haley to look at them questioningly. She looked to Peyton who just shook her head telling her to forget about it.

"Oh, look! The gang's all here. My invitation must have gotten lost."

Everyone groaned at the sound of her distinct voice. They had made it through the entire night without a surprise visit from her and were incredibly relieved. As if rehearsed, every single one of them picked up their drinks and took a big gulp.

"Oh, no, sweetie. Your invitation didn't get lost. We just didn't want to risk our health by having you with us tonight." Brooke shot out sarcastically.

Rachel ignored the jab and rudely plopped herself down at the table in between Brooke and Mouth. "So, what are we talking about? Getting to know the new girl?" She sneered looking pointedly at Haley. She found herself growing furious when she noticed how close Nathan and Haley were sitting and huddled together.

"Sure, make yourself comfortable." Brooke snarled.

"Thanks, Brooke. I will." Rachel said. "Anyway, it looks like someone's quickly warming herself up to the group. You really don't waste any time, do you?" She asked Haley.

"Rachel, let it go." Nathan warned.

"No, it's okay." Haley jumped in. "What are you so afraid of, Rachel? Are you afraid that I might be taking your place within the group? If that's the case, I wouldn't worry if I were you. They all feel exactly the same way about you that they felt before I showed up." She said as everyone else laughed. If looks could kill, Haley would probably be dead right now with the look Rachel shot towards her. "Or maybe you're just jealous." She said.

"Jealous of who-you?" Rachel scoffed as Haley looked at her challengingly. "I'm not jealous of you, sweetie. You hold nothing to me." She said.

"Well, then, you don't have anything to worry about." Haley said.

Before anything else could be said, the waitress arrived at the table with Haley's dessert. Haley couldn't help but laugh as the girl purposely reached over Nathan to set the plate down in front of her. This girl was about as bad as Rachel. Her shirt was so low-cut, Haley thought for sure she was going to fall out. The girl sent a seductive smile towards Nathan who decided to humor the girl and smirked at her. Not interested in watching the disgusting display, Haley immediately dug into her cake. "Oh my God!" She moaned.

"It's good, isn't it?" Nathan said now blatantly ignoring the waitress who rushed off in a huff.

"It's amazing." Haley said as she held out her fork to Nathan who eagerly took a bite. The two shared the rest of the dessert as she continued to let out a couple small moans here and there.

"God, Haley, you're kind of turning me on right now." Clay joked as everyone laughed. Haley blushed as she began to feel somewhat embarrassed. She looked over to Nathan who was smirking at her.

"Speaking of-what's the best sexual experience you guys have ever had?" Brooke asked everyone.

"Ooh, that's a good question." Clay said.

Nobody seemed to notice how tense and uncomfortable Haley became-nobody except Nathan. He felt her unwind her arm from his and immediately grab her glass of wine. He watched as she practically chugged the whole thing before refilling it again.

Haley felt completely thrown by that question. She heard everyone sharing their own personal experiences with one another, but she wasn't actually listening. She just kept thinking about the question. How was she supposed to answer that? She's only experienced it twice in her entire life. The first time was awful and against her own will. An event she tries to block out of her mind. The second time was with Nathan-the night she truly lost her virginity. She wasn't wanting to admit to everyone about her and Nathan's sexual history. She could only imagine what that would bring about.

"Nathan, what about yours?" Brooke asked.

Haley snapped her head towards him realizing that everyone else has already shared their experiences, and it was down to just Nathan and her. She felt her heart beat just a little faster. She wasn't nervous about Nathan's answer. She knew his best sexual experience wasn't with her. After how many sexual encounters he's experienced over the years, their night together probably didn't even fall in the top half. It was probably more like the bottom half. She was nervous about her having to answer next. What the hell was she supposed to say?

Meanwhile, Nathan was struggling with the question as well. As soon as Brooke asked that question, his mind went straight to his night with Haley. Sure, it wasn't "freaky" or "kinky" or "rough" sex. It was more innocent and romantic and passionate. There were so many emotions that night between the two of them. And considering he still has fantasies about that night, he could safely say that night was one of (if not) the best experiences of his life.

"I can make a guess as to when his best experience was." Rachel said licking her lips seductively at him as everyone else rolled their eyes and groaned in disgust.

"I believe I was asking Nathan not you, whorebag." Brooke snarled turning back towards Nathan. "So, come on, Nathan, let's hear it." She prodded quirking an eyebrow.

"I don't know, Brooke." He said knowing instantly what a lie that was.

"Yeah, come on, Brooke. Nathan probably doesn't remember-he's been with so many women over the years. How's he supposed to pick just one." Clay joked as Nathan glared at him. Nathan wanted to punch Clay when he noticed Haley cast her eyes down towards the table. He felt bad and guilty. He felt like Haley was ashamed of him, and that killed him. He knew Haley knew all about his promiscuity, but he also knew how Haley felt about it. She wasn't like other girls. She was innocent and believed that sex actually meant something. He always felt ashamed about it when Haley was around.

"Okay, what about you, Haley?" Brooke smirked.

"Oh, I umm...I don't think I have enough experience to answer that question." Haley said quietly.

"Miss Haley James, are you a virgin?" Brooke asked bluntly causing the atmosphere to shift slightly around the table.

"No, I'm not a virgin, Brooke. I just...I've only been with one person. So, I guess that would technically be my best sexual experience." Haley said while glancing at Nathan which definitely didn't go unnoticed by Brooke. And little did both Haley and Nathan know, but Brooke was already analyzing that look that was shared between them. There was definitely something to that look-what it was? Brooke wasn't sure yet, but she was definitely going to find out.

"Come on, Broody, let's dance." Brooke announced standing up and pulling Lucas with her towards the dancefloor. Jake and Peyton followed shortly after. The two couples danced closely and seductively with one another. Haley watched them from her seat and felt her heart pull slightly. She instantly thought of Julian and missed him. That feeling only lasted a second longer before she felt Nathan place his hand on her bare thigh. She looked up and found him staring at her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied solemnly before looking back towards the dancefloor which was filled with couples.

"Do you want to dance, Hales?" Nathan asked reluctantly.

"Are you serious?" She asked looking at him suddenly completely surprised. "You don't dance-like ever. You hate it. I practically have to pull off your arm to get you to dance." She said.

"Yes, I'm serious. How bad can it be?" He said.

"If you're offering, then, hell yeah." She said jumping up from her chair. Nathan chuckled at her enthusiasm before standing up and following her out to the dancefloor. But not before sending a smirk Rachel's way who was glaring at both him and Haley. Once out on the dancefloor, Haley turned around so that her back was to Nathan's chest. She wasted no time in grinding her body up against his causing him to let out a small groan. He couldn't stop himself as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her flush against him. She placed her hands on his thighs as he moved his hands to her stomach.

The two moved rhythmically and seductively against one another. It was as if there was no one else in the club with them. It was only them as they released all of their feelings into their dancing. It was as if they were expressing their feelings for one another through their dancing. They were lost in the sensations which were created within them. Wanting to get closer to her, Nathan turned Haley around and pulled her into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and settled them just above her ass as her left hand was wrapped around his neck and her right hand was placed on his chest. She was fisting his shirt as they continued to grind against one another.

"Is something wrong, Rachel?" Peyton smirked as she noticed Rachel with her eyes plastered on the spectacle Nathan and Haley were making out on the dancefloor. The truth was that Peyton had to do a double-take to make sure it actually was Nathan and Haley that she saw. She saw them and immediately had to take a drink of her water to cool herself down. They were totally hot and burning up that dancefloor. It was just further proof that there was definitely more to their relationship than just friendship.

"Nothing's wrong. Just watching Haley prove to everyone what a slut she truly is." Rachel said smugly.

"Jealousy's a crazy bitch, isn't it?" Peyton bit out.

"I'm not jealous of her." Rachel said.

"Keep telling yourself that." Peyton laughed just as their waitress returned to ask if they wanted anything else. Peyton was under strict orders to keep the alcohol flowing, and she quickly ordered everyone another drink.

Back out on the dancefloor, if possible, Nathan and Haley were dancing even closer together. Their cheeks were pressed against one another as he was gripping her waist tightly the same way she was his shirt and chest. He felt himself grow even harder. _God, he wanted her._ He thought to himself. But just as quickly as that thought popped in his mind, it popped out when the song ended bringing them both back to reality. They shared a look of surprise and lust and nervousness and so many others before quickly breaking apart and hastily returning to their table where Clay, Jake, and Peyton were busy in their own conversation. They sat down while ignoring the glare Rachel was sending both their ways. They both reached for their drinks chugging them instantly in one sitting.

"Haley, do you have any lip gloss? I left mine in the car, and my lips are needing a touch-up." Brooke asked as she and Lucas returned to their seats.

Haley reached for her purse laying under the table by her feet and passed it to Brooke across the table. "It's somewhere in there. I'm not sure where-feel free to look." She said before flagging down their waitress to bring both her and Nathan another drink.

"Haley, what is this?" Brooke asked with a tone full of complete shock that caused everyone to turn their attention towards her.

Haley's eyes went wide as she saw Brooke holding her velvet jewelry box in her hand with it open revealing her three-carot diamond engagement. All of a sudden, everyone's eyes were cut to her, and she felt completely blindsided and lost at what to say or do. Her first instinct was to look at Nathan who was staring at the box in Brooke's hand.

"Well?" Brooke prodded.

"I, umm...I was waiting to tell you guys, but I guess I can't hide it anymore. I'm engaged. I'm getting married." Haley revealed as everyone dropped their mouths open in shock.

"Are you serious?" Brooke questioned still completely shocked.

"Yes, I am." Haley answered.

"To who?" Brooke asked.

"His name is Julian Baker. We went to Stanford together." Haley answered. She reached over and grabbed her purse as well as the jewelry box out of Brooke's hands who was staring at her speechless.

"Congratulations." Haley heard Jake, Clay, and Lucas say. She smiled and thanked them.

"Wow, Haley. I guess congratulations." Peyton said as Haley silently thanked her.

Brooke continued to stare at Haley without muttering a word. She was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. She noticed Haley sliding the ring onto her left ring finger. Brooke cut her eyes over to Nathan who was staring down at the table. She couldn't quite read the look on his face. But if she had to guess-sadness etched across his face. She watched as he moved his eyes over to the ring on Haley's finger and stared solemnly at the diamond. She moved her eyes up to Haley's face where she wore a smile. There was something different about her smile, though. She observed her closely and sensed a fakeness to her smile. She watched as Haley glanced over to Nathan as the two shared a small smile. Brooke was now more determined than ever to figure out the truth behind Nathan and Haley's friendship.

**There you guys go. Sorry, I didn't get this up yesterday. I could make up an excuse, but I was tired and used my time to sleep! Anyway, thanks again for your guys' awesome reviews. You guys rock. I am really enjoying hearing what you guys have to say. So, let me know what you think about this chapter. I should have another update for you guys soon. Until then!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I have another chapter for you guys. I will warn you that Julian is in this chapter. I will also say there isn't much of a Nathan/Julian interraction this chapter. Nathan's jealousy doesn't really come out in this chapter, but it will appear later. I know we all love a jealous Nathan! This is basically a meeting of the family type of chapter. It's basically a filler, but Nathan and Haley's conversation at the end is what's important about this chapter. So, read and let me know what you think!**

Haley waited anxiously at the airport for Julian's plane to arrive. She couldn't deny the nerves that coursed through her body at the moment. She was so excited to see him. She missed him so much, and she couldn't wait to introduce him to Nathan, Dan, and Deb. She was also debating whether or not she was going to introduce them to her new friends from the casino. He was only in town for a few days, and she wanted to make those days count.

She couldn't lie about how nervous she was for Nathan to meet Julian, though. She had this sinking pit in her stomach that something was going to go wrong. She knew exactly how Nathan could be. In high school, he threatened any guy who dared to look at her in more than a friendly way. Guys were terrified to ask her out, because of him. While she admired and loved him for his protectiveness, she hated it. It was rare that a guy showed an interest to her in high school. So when one did, she actually wanted to be able to go out on a date with him. Now that she was older and more independent from Nathan, she felt like she had control over the situation. However, she was still afraid Nathan would try to intimidate Julian. She just prayed they got along and liked one another.

Haley saw the terminal doors open as a flood of people wandered into the airport. She smiled greatly when she saw him come into her view. She rushed through the mass of people and jumped into his waiting arms. "I'm so glad you're here!" She exclaimed.

"I know. I've missed you, Haley." He said kissing her chastely on the lips before setting her back down onto the ground. "So, what are our plans for this weekend?" He asked as they made their way towards the baggage claim.

"Well, we are going to go back to my apartment and relax a bit. I'm going to make you something quick and easy for lunch, while you take a nap, shower, or whatever. And then, tonight, we are going over to Dan and Deb's to have dinner." She answered.

"Sounds like a plan. Is Nathan going to be there, too?" He asked.

"Of course. I'm so excited for you to meet all of them. They're my whole world." She said.

"I'm excited, too. Do I lose major ego points if I admit that I'm a little nervous to meet them?" He slightly joked.

"No, you don't. Actually, I think it's adorable and incredibly sweet." She said hoping to make him feel better and slightly more at ease.

"So, what about the rest of my time here?" He asked.

"That has yet to be decided or planned. I kind of would like to spend some time together just the two of us since you won't be in town for very long." She answered as he nodded in agreement. "So, how are you classes going?" She asked changing the subject.

"Stressful. I'll be so happy when this semester is over and done with. Then, I'll be done forever." He said as she looped her arm through his while he pulled his suitcase off of the conveyer belt.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Well, let's get home so you can rest and relax." She said leading him out of the airport.

* * *

><p>Nathan walked through the doors of his parent's house feeling completely nervous. He really didn't want to be here. He didn't want to meet Haley's fiance, and he didn't want to sit here and watch the two of them together. The only reason why he was doing it was because of Haley. She was his best friend, and she asked him for his support. All he wanted was for her to be happy no matter at what cost to himself personally. He loved her too much to be that selfish. He was that selfish with her once before, and he told himself he wouldn't do it again.<p>

"Hey, mom." He greeted finding his mother in the kitchen.

"Nathan! Hey, sweetie." She greeted embracing her son in a hug. "How was work?" She asked once they broke out of their embrace.

"Work was work." He answered vaguely. The truth was he wasn't very useful at work today. His mind kept wandering to tonight. To Haley. He found himself doing that a lot lately. He couldn't concentrate, because she was on his mind ninety percent of the time.

"Hey, Nathan. I thought I heard you coming in. How's it going, son?" Dan asked walking into the kitchen.

"Not much has changed since you last saw me four hours ago." Nathan remarked somewhat sarcastically.

"Well, Haley and Julian should be here any minute now." Dan announced changing the subject. He watched his son carefully and noticed the way Nathan flinched slightly when he mentioned Julian's name. Dan had to admit to himself that he wasn't too excited about tonight. He wanted to meet Julian. Haley was like a daughter to him, and he wanted to make sure this guy was good enough for her and treated her right. But he was a tad nervous with what might go down between his son and Haley's fiance. He just hoped Nathan would be on his best behavior. None of them needed any unncessary drama tonight.

"Hello!" They heard Haley's voice calling from the foyer.

"Yah, they're here!" Deb exclaimed rushing out of the kitchen.

"You ready?" Dan asked Nathan after his wife was gone.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be ready?" Nathan said. Dan shook his head and made his way out of the kitchen with Nathan tailing behind him.

"Haley! Hey, sweetie!" Deb exclaimed as she and Haley hugged each other.

"Hey, Deb." Haley greeted as they broke apart and turned towards Julian. "Deb, this is Julian Baker-my fiance. Julian, this is Deb Scott." She introduced.

"Mrs. Scott, it's very nice to meet you." Julian said extending his right hand towards her.

"Oh, enough of that." Deb said swatting his hand away and embracing him in a hug. "I'm so happy to meet you. And it's Deb." She said pulling back as he nodded.

"Hey, Haley. How are you, sweetie?" Dan asked hugging the petite girl.

"Hi, Dan. I'm wonderful." Haley said. "Dan, this is Julian Baker. Julian, this is Dan Scott." She once again introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Scott." Julian greeted extending his right hand towards him which Dan accepted after sizing him up and down first.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Dan returned.

Haley's eyes met Nathan's as she smiled brightly at him. "Hey." She said throwing her arms around his neck tightly. "I'm so glad you're here tonight. I couldn't do this without you." She whispered in his ear.

"I'm here for you, Hales." He said kissing her on her cheek before they broke apart. He looked passed Haley and saw him standing there watching them. Nathan observed him closely. He was wearing a black button-down shirt paired with some dark khaki pants. He had light brown slightly curly hair. He appeared to be really nervous, and Nathan was happy with that.

"Nathan, this is Julian Baker. Julian, this is Nathan." Haley greeted proudly.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Haley talks about you all of the time." Julian greeted extending his hand towards him.

Nathan hesitated for just a moment before accepting the gesture and shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you, too." He returned.

Haley let out a quiet sigh of relief. Everything was going well so far, and she just prayed the night would continue just like this. The night was far from over, and there was plenty of time for things to get out of hand. This was just the start.

* * *

><p>"Julian, Haley tells us you're finishing your final semester of grad school at Stanford." Dan said as they all were sitting down eating. Dan and Deb were at both ends of the table. Haley and Julian were on one side with Nathan sitting across from them on the other side.<p>

"Yes, sir. I am earning my degree in journalism." Julian answered.

"That's impressive. So, what are your plans in terms of a job? What are you wanting to do once you graduate?" Dan asked.

"I'm not completely sure yet. I know there aren't a lot of jobs available right now with journalism. I guess, I'll just have to wait and see what's available whenever I move here." Julian replied.

"Yeah, journalism isn't exactly the most flexible career to venture into. You probably should have chosen something else as your career." Dan commented as both Deb and Haley shot him a look as Nathan tried to bite back the laugh that was threatening to fall from his lips. If there was anything Dan Scott could be-it was intimidating. He was fiercly protective of his family-especially Haley because of what happened in the past.

"I am aware of that, but journalism is something I've wanted to venture into since I could remember. The job market may be scarce, but I have hope that something will turn up. And I have a few months before I really have to start worrying about it." Julian recovered seemingly unfased.

"I have to say that I'm surprised at the sacrifice you're making by moving here just to be with Haley." Dan said.

"Well, sir, I love Haley very much. And I can't wait to marry her and start a life with her. She told me that Las Vegas was and will always be her home. So in my opinion, it's a small sacrifice if I get to be with her." Julian said smiling sweetly at Haley as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Nathan rolled his eyes at the sickening sight in front of him. For the entire dinner, he's kept his mouth shut. He told Haley he would be here for her, and that's what he was doing. But he wasn't exactly feeling like striking up a conversation with this guy. He would sit there, listen, and keep his mouth shut. It wasn't too bad so far. But he just had to think that right then before his mother began the next conversation. The conversation he wanted no part of.

"So, I want to talk more about this wedding. Do you guys have a date in mind? We've got a lot of planning ahead of us." Deb said trying to control her excitement.

"Oh, we haven't talked too much about that. We figured we would wait until January to start planning everything." Haley said.

"But we were thinking about doing something in the fall. I mentioned maybe having an outdoor wedding in October, and Haley thought that sounded really nice. But like she said, we haven't really discussed things in detail." Julian said.

Nathan immediately cut his eyes towards Haley's who was "discreetly" avoiding his. He knew what was going through her mind in that moment. And she was avoiding him, because she knew what was going through his mind. He shook his head in slight irritation before letting out a small chuckle and grabbing his glass of wine and taking a sip of it. It took everything in him not to say something, but he didn't want to do that to Haley.

"A fall wedding would be really beautiful. Haley, have you given any thought to what colors you want to have?" Deb asked.

"Oh, umm...no, I haven't really thought much about all of the details yet." Haley said.

Nathan immediately could tell how uncomfortable she was. He couldn't help but shake his head. This was not the Haley he used to know. His Haley used to go on and on about her wedding. She had every detail planned out. She used to say that she had everything except her groom. And now, here she was engaged, yet she had nothing to say about it. And in his observation of her, she really didn't seem all that excited about it either.

"Tell us more about your family, Julian." Dan said changing the subject. Apparently, he had caught onto how uncomfortable Haley was as well.

"Well, I'm an only child. My dad is a movie producer." Julian began.

"Wow, that's something." Deb said in amazement.

"Yeah, it is. My mom doesn't really do anything. She just lives off of my dad's alimony payment." He said trying to make a joke but completely serious at the same time.

"So, your parents are divorced?" Deb questioned. There was no snobbiness or rudeness behind her tone or question-just curiousity.

"Yes, they are. But they're better off without one another, honestly. They caused each other nothing but misery. Their whole marriage was completely unhealthy. So, it worked better for everyone to get a divorce. We're all much happier." He answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But as long as everyone is happier, that's all that matters." Deb said as Julian nodded in agreement and smiled at her.

* * *

><p>Nathan knocked on Haley's apartment door and waited for her to answer. It's been a few days since he had dinner with his family and since he met Julian. He knew Julian had now gone back to California, and he was relieved. He wanted to talk to Haley. He needed to talk to Haley. The door swung open to reveal Haley's happy face. "Hey!" She greeted cheerfully.<p>

"Hey, Hales." He greeted.

"Come in. What brings you by today?" She asked stepping aside and allowing him to come in.

"I just wanted to talk to you and hang out with my best friend for a little bit." He answered as they made their way further into the apartment. He followed her into the kitchen where she pulled out a water for the both of them before they settled on the couch in the living room.

"I'm actually glad you're here. We haven't really had a chance to talk about everything since Julian's been here. First off, I want to say thank you for making dinner the other night less stressful. Thank you for not bombarding Julian with a bunch of questions or making him feel intimidated. He really loved the family. He said he would like to get to know you a little bit better, though. You two didn't really get a chance to talk much. What do you think about him?" She asked happily but immediately noticed the change to his facial features. "What's going on, Nathan?" She asked.

"Haley, I think you're making a mistake." He said quietly.

"A mistake about what?" She asked.

"Julian. I don't think you should marry him." He said.

"Why would you say that? I thought you were okay with this." She said incredulously.

"I'm not. I'm not okay with you making the biggest mistake of your life." He retaliated and watched as she angrily pushed herself off of the couch. He was quick to follow her. "Haley, I'm just trying to be honest."

"Honest? You're trying to be honest with me? Let me be honest with you, then. It's actually none of your business." She threw out.

"Actually, it is. You're my best friend, and I love you. All I want is to see you happy." He argued.

"I am happy." She said.

"Really? Are you really happy, Hales?" He challenged.

"I love Julian, Nathan." She declared.

"I'm not disputing that. I'm asking you if you are happy." He said as she turned away from him. "Because I don't think you are. Haley, you're changing what you have always wanted because of him." He continued.

"What are you talking about?" She asked confused.

"I'm talking about this!" He exclaimed grabbing her left hand and pointing to her engagement ring. "Ever since you were a little girl, you wanted an engagement ring exactly like your mother's. You wanted a princess cut diamond ring with three small diamonds embedded into the band on each side. You never got to meet your mother, and you said having a ring like hers would remind you of how much you love her and miss her."

"Things change, and I..."

"And you always wanted to get married in a church, because you believe you're not only making a committment to your future husband but to God as well. And you always wanted to get married in June, because of your favorite movie growing up, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. You made me watch that with you all of the time. And there's a song in there that talks about being a June bride. And you told me and I quote, 'When I get married, I'm going to get married in June so that I will always be a bride.' You told me this for years. And you expect me to believe you changed all of your feelings just like that. You're settling, and you know I'm right." He said.

"I love him, Nathan." She said.

"Again, Haley, I'm not disputing that. I believe you when you say you love him. But you don't want to marry him." He said as she once again turned around to avoid looking at him. "Haley, I'm not saying all of this to hurt you. I just want you to be happy." He said.

"You really have no business talking about wanting me to be happy or what would make me happy." She said with a slight laugh.

"What?" He asked.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't marry Julian." She said turning to look at him.

"I already told you why." He said.

"No, Nathan. I want you to tell me why I shouldn't marry him." She said as he looked at her completely confused. "I want you to give me the one good reason why I shouldn't marry him." She said with so much desperation.

"I think your happiness is reason enough." He said.

"You just don't get it. And what I'm beginning to realize is that I don't think you want to get it." She said.

"Haley, I don't understand what you're talking about." He said sincerely.

"I know." She said calmly and took a couple deep breaths. "Nathan, I know what I'm doing. I appreciate you so much for caring and expressing your concerns to me, but this is my choice. I love Julian, and I'm going to get married to him. It's time for me to move on with my life, and I'm ready to do that. I love you, Nathan. You will always be my best friend, but I need you to trust me. I need you to support me with my decision even if you don't agree with it. That's what will make me happy. Please, Nathan. I need you." She said.

"I do support you, but I don't agree with you." He said.

"That's fine, and that's fair. All I need to know is that you are here for me." She said.

"I am." He said. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly. He closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'll always be here for you, Haley. I love you." He said.

"I love you, too." She said quietly trying to fight off the tears which were threatening to fall as she held onto him even tighter.

**Okay, there you guys go. I know things appear to have been resolved quickly between Nathan and Haley, but let me assure you, they aren't. There will be plenty of angst coming up. I should have another chapter up soon! Until then!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry for such a long wait! I wanted to put this chapter up yesterday but never got the chance to. I want to thank you guys for your feedback and for continuing to follow this story. I really appreciate those of you taking the time to review the chapters-I love hearing what you liked/didn't like about everything. But anyway...****Haley talks a little bit more about her relationship with Julian in this chapter. And of course, there's some Naley in it as well. Well, read and let me know what you think.**

"So, Haley, tell us more about Julian." Peyton inquired curiously as she, Haley, and Brooke were eating lunch in the hotel cafe. She, as well as Brooke, was still trying to wrap her head around Haley being engaged. It's true, she doesn't know Haley all that well, but she has gotten to know her. And she knows Nathan-has for the past couple of years. She has never seen Nathan act towards anyone the way he does towards Haley. And she has seen the two of them together. They definitely look and act to be more than best friends.

"Well, we met my sophomore year at Stanford. He was in his junior year. We met through our roomates actually. We were friends before we were anything else. I knew he wanted more at first, but he knew I wasn't quite ready. It was during my junior year a couple years later that we started dating. And then..."

"A couple years? That doesn't really make any sense. You said you were in your sophomore year when you met. How could you be a junior two years later?" Brooke asked confused.

Haley couldn't help but inwardly groan. She should have known that Brooke would pick up on that. The girl was incredibly insightly. It was times like these that that particular trait was annoying. "I took a year off in between my sophomore and junior year." She said.

"Why? Were you back here in Vegas?" Brooke continued to pry.

"I just had some personal issues I had to deal with. And no, I wasn't in Vegas. I stayed in California, and I actually stayed in the dorms at Stanford. I talked to the dean about things, and he was completely understanding. I was able to keep my full scholarship. I just had to pay for my living expenses for the year I took off. Dan and Deb graciously sent me the money to do so. So, that's that." Haley explained briefly but vaguely. She hoped Brooke would just accept that answer for now. She really didn't want to rehash everything. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.

"So, tell us more about you and Julian." Peyton jumped in. She loved Brooke, but she sometimes didn't know when to stop. Even if it was unintentional, she tended to overstep her boundaries. Haley was a pretty private person. In fact, the whole Scott family was pretty private-especially when it came to the topic of Haley. Peyton wanted her to feel comfortable enough to come to herself and Brooke when she was ready.

"Julian is such a great guy. He's really romantic and sweet. He has a passion for learning which is something that we both share. That's how we became so close as friends at first. We spent most of our time together in the library or in our dorms studying." Haley began as Peyton and Brooke laughed. "I know-I'm a big nerd. But I take pride in that." She said as the three of them continued laughing.

"As you should." Peyton said.

"But anyway, he was really there for me. He would just listen and never ask questions. He was very patient with me. But he also let me know how he felt. He was willing to wait, but he was also there. And I think that's what I came to love most about him. He was never closed off about his feelings for me. When I was with him, I knew that he loved me and wanted me. And then, I finally started feeling myself ready for a relationship and gave him a chance. We took it slow and started dating. He's a hopeless romantic like myself. It was always candles and soft music and champaigne. He told me his dream is to marry, have dozens of children, and grow old together. He really is all a girl could ask for. He treats me perfectly, and I love him." Haley said.

Haley talked about Julian and her relationship as if it were a fairytale. And it quite honestly sounded like one. But behind all of the "magic" there seemed to be a facade. Brooke observed her. It was clear Haley loved Julian, but there was no sparkle in her eyes as she talked about him. It was almost as if she was talking about a best friend instead of her fiance. And Brooke couldn't help but wonder if Haley felt the same but has just accepted it.

But Brooke kept her mouth shut. The truth was that she didn't really know Haley that well. She didn't grow up with her. She wasn't at Stanford with her. She has never whitnessed her and Julian together. So maybe, it was real and genuine. She was growing to really like and care for Haley. They were quickly becoming close friends. She wanted to continue building their friendship. She was curious about who Haley was and what her past entailed-especially her past with Nathan. There is more to them than just friendship, and she was determined to find out. Nathan was a good friend of hers like Haley was becoming. She wanted them both to be happy. She knew she had to be patient, but she also had to be proactive. She just had to figure out a way to go about it all.

"Okay, enough about me. What's going on with you and that Jake guy?" Haley asked flipping the focus to Peyton instead. "Oh, there's definitely something going on there." She smirked noticing the blush creeping into Peyton's cheeks.

"Yes, P. Sawyer. What is going on between you and Jake?" Brooke couldn't help but chime in.

"Well, you'll both be happy to know that we are actually official now." Peyton said as the two girls let out a light squeal. "He's really great and unlike any other guy I've ever met. He's incredibly sweet and..."

"And amazing in bed?" Brooke said bluntly while quirking an eyebrow.

Haley let out a slight cough as her she felt her face heat up. Sex was always an awkward and uncomfortable subject for her. And not just because of what happened with her father. She thought of sex to be such an intimate and private thing. She wasn't someone to so openly discuss the topic.

"Brooke, do you have to be so forward all of the time?" Peyton scolded. She wasn't angry or embarrassed. She knows Brooke and knows what to expect with her. And she and Brooke have always been very open about their sex lives. But this thing she had going on with Jake was the most special and meaningful relationship she's ever been in. She didn't want to jinx it.

"Oh, hush, Peyton. You know you're just dying to tell us." Brooke prodded. She smiled triumphantly as she noticed her best friend beginning to crack.

"Fine. Yes, he's pretty damn amazing in bed." Peyton relented.

"I knew it. He looks like he'd be amazing. Good for you, P. Sawyer." Brooke said raising her glass of water in salute.

"And what about you, B. Davis?" Peyton countered.

"What about me? I'm not dating anyone." Brooke said.

"What about...Lucas?" Peyton smirked.

"Yes, what is going on between you and Lucas?" Haley finally joined into the conversation. She was incredibly curious to know what was going on between them. They flirted shamelessly with one another and acted like a couple, but from what she has heard they aren't a couple.

"Okay. First of all, nice of you to finally join in, Missy." Brooke began looking pointedly at Haley. "And secondly, Lucas and I are friends. That's all." She said.

"Friends who kiss?" Peyton said as Brooke dropped her mouth open slightly in shock. "We do not..."

"Oh, you so do." Haley cut her off as she and Peyton began laughing.

"Shut it, new girl." Brooke shot out as Haley and Peyton continued laughing.

"Oh, lighten up, Brooke. We're just messin' with you-kind of." Peyton said.

"Whatever. You're kind of right. Anyway, when do we get to meet Julian?" Brooke asked changing the subject back to Haley.

"Well, he's pretty busy right now. I don't think he'll be able to visit until he actually moves here." Haley answered.

"That's in January, right?" Brooke asked as Haley nodded.

"That's gotta be tough. Long distance relationships kind of suck." Peyton said.

"That they do. But it's good to be home. It's good to be back here with Dan and Deb and Nathan. I have all of you guys to keep me plenty distracted. So, that definitely helps." Haley said. "And we've got to get back to work." She said looking at the watch on her wrist. The three girls said their goodbyes and headed back to their jobs just like pretty much every other day.

* * *

><p>Haley arrived on his doorstep and knocked determinedly on the door. She waited as patiently as she could for him to finally answer. She wanted to make sure everything was relatively okay between them. They've been going through the motions, but he still seems somewhat detached. It was a few seconds later when the door swung open causing her to immediately smile up at him. "Hey, Hales. What brings you by?" He asked.<p>

"Well, it has occurred to me that I have been in town for almost a month now, and I have still never seen your apartment." She answered. "So, are you going to invite me in?" She asked when he didn't say anything right away.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Of course, come in." He said backing out of his doorway to let her pass through. "Do you want something to drink?" He asked.

"Not right now. How about a tour?" She suggested instead as he smiled at her. He nodded and led her through all of the rooms before finally ending in the living room. He watched as she surveyed all of the pictures he had hanging on the walls.

Haley smiled as she saw all of the pictures of the two of them. There were tons-all the way from when they were younger until their senior year. She focused on one from their senior prom as the memories flooded over her.

_Nathan and Haley were sitting quietly in his bedroom. He was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed playing some NBA Live while she was laying flat on her stomach on his bed with her calculus book open in front of her. This had pretty much become a daily ritual for them. It was towards the end of their senior year with graduation slowly approaching. But there was one more school event to take place before that-Prom. It was in just a couple short weeks actually._

_Nathan paused his game and turned around. He let out a chuckle as he observed Haley. She looked up at him instantly with a look of confusion plastered across her face. "What?" She asked._

_"Hales, we have like two months left of school. You're the valedictorian without any chance of someone beating you. And here you are with your nose stuck in a book." He said._

_"Well, some of us actually want and like to get good grades. And we still have finals. School isn't over yet." She said._

_"Seriously?" He said incredulously._

_"Well, not all of us are receiving a full scholarship to Duke for basketball. Some of us have to earn a scholarship based on our actual grades. We can't all get by for being a superstar." She retorted._

_"Ouch! Damn, Hales, you sure know how to kick me where it hurts." He said._

_"Oh, stop it. You weren't at all affected by what I said." She countered._

_"That's true. But why would I study when I have you? You were my passing grade all through high school." He smirked causing her to let out a small scoff._

_"I made you do all of the work yourself, and I never allowed you to cheat." She said._

_"I know. I'm just messing with you." He laughed._

_"Funny." She deadpanned. "Anyway, do you...I mean, are you excited for prom? I overheard Teresa talking up a storm about it. She was gushing about her dress...and of course, about you. She wants you to ask her. Actually, she really thinks you're going to ask her." She changed the subject. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He turned his attention back towards his television to resume his game. "So, are you going to ask her?" She asked hesitantly._

_"No. I'm not going to go." He said._

_"Nathan, you have to go. You're going to be crowned king-that's like a given." She said._

_"So what?" He shrugged._

_"You have to go. This is your senior prom." She continued._

_"It's just a stupid dance and a stupid tradition." He retorted. He didn't care about the prom, and he definitely didn't want to go. He thought the whole thing was completely ludacris and ridiculous. It was a complete waste of money to buy a tux and a dress all for just one night. The whole notion of prom kings and queens were completely ridiculous as well. He had no desire to get sucked into that for the whole night._

_"It's not stupid. It's prom. You buy a beautiful dress. You take pictures and dance. It's supposed to be magical and perfect and...it's something every girl fantasizes about like her wedding day." She said with her eyes closed dreaming up images within her mind._

_"And what about you?" He asked._

_She snapped her eyes open at his question feeling slightly embarrassed. She hastily moved her eyes back down to the pages of her calculus book. "What about me?" She asked with a slight laugh._

_"Are you going to go to prom?" He asked._

_"No, of course not. It's just some stupid dance. It doesn't mean anything." She dismissed quickly. What was she supposed to say? 'No, I'm not. Nobody asked me, and I'm not about to go stag to my senior prom.' She thought in her head while keeping her eyes pried to her book._

_And awkward silence drifted into the room. Neither said anything for several minutes. Haley continued to read through her book even though she wasn't absorbing anything that was actually written on the pages. Nathan turned back to his game trying to pretend everything was okay. He sighed before shutting off his game and turned around to look at her. "Haley, would you like to go to prom with me?" He asked pushing away his own personal feelings towards it._

_"What?" She asked suddenly looking up at him._

_"Would you like to go to prom with me?" He repeated his question._

_"Shut up, Nathan." She laughed thinking he was just joking with her._

_"I'm serious, Hales." He said._

_"It's just some stupid dance. It isn't a big deal." She dismissed._

_"It could be fun. We could make it fun. I could spike the punch, and then, we could sit at a table and make fun of everyone else." He said as she laughed at him. "Come on, Hales. Let's go to prom. Like you said, I'm going to be crowned king any__way. It's only right that I actually show up. And who better to go with than my best friend." He continued._

_"Are you serious, Nathan?" She asked._

_"Yes, I'm serious. I would really like to go to prom with you." He said sincerely._

_"Umm...okay. Yeah, I would love to." She said trying to fight off the smile that was threatening to take over her mouth. She allowed a small smile before looking back down to her book._

_Nathan smiled at the expression on his best friend's face. He loved making Haley happy, and he knew she wanted to go to the prom. She would never admit it, but he knew. He read her like an open book. He didn't want to go at all, but he was willing to go for her. He turned back around to face his television. "By the way, you probably just saved me from catching an STD from or impregnating Teresa." He joked. The two laughed without breaking their focus from what they were doing. And just like that, the awkwardness evaporated around them and things were back to normal._

Haley snapped out of her memory and opened her eyes. She remembered prom so vividly and loved every minute of it. She had the best time with Nathan who made it incredibly special for her. Looking back now, she was so grateful that he asked her. She knows now what he was doing, and she loved him for it. That was one of her greatest memories, and she had him to thank for that.

"What are you looking at?" Nathan's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw him now standing next to her.

"Thinking about our senior prom." She said looking back towards the picture. He followed her gaze and smiled with her.

"That was fun night." He said.

"I don't know if I ever thanked you for taking me. I was too stubborn to admit how badly I wanted to go. I had so much fun. Thank you." She said.

"You're welcome. I surprisingly had fun, too." He admitted.

"Really?" She asked skeptically.

"Yeah, because I got to share the evening with my best friend." He said slinging his arm around her shoulders. She smiled before turning back towards the pictures. She focused on a picture of the two of them at graduation. They were both still in their caps and gowns. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders with hers around his waist as they smiled brightly at the camera.

That was one of the best days of her life. She had so much hope for the future. Nathan was leaving for Duke in three months while she was debating with going to Stanford. She wasn't so sure she wanted to go anymore. She never told anyone, but she had also applied and been accepted to Duke. She wasn't ready to move to California and put all of that distance between Nathan and herself. She decided to give herself two more months before making a final decision. She was looking forward to the next three months. She and Nathan vowed to spend pretty much every waking minute of their summer together. She was happy. But as she's learned over the years, happiness doesn't last too long. One week after graduation, Nathan left. And one year later, she left for Stanford.

She forced those painful memories out of her mind. She didn't want to focus on those right now. She wanted to focus on the present and move forward. "You know..." She began turning towards him. "Lucas was right. There are a lot of pictures of me." She grinned up at him.

"Correction-there are a lot of pictures of us. And that's just because I look damn good in pictures. I'm a very photogenic guy, Hales." He said.

"Is that so?" She questioned.

"Face it-your best friend's a total hottie." He said smugly.

"Oh, the ego. You might want to be careful there, Natey. I'm not so sure I can handle that." She smirked.

"Don't call me Natey." He warned.

"What? You don't like that. Rachel liked calling you that." She teased him causing him to groan in annoyance. "I'm sorry. I'm just messing with you. I know how much you hate when people call you that." She relented ending his torment. He thanked her before leading her to the couch as they got settled in. "You don't have any plans tonight, do you? I don't want to interrupt." She asked quickly.

"Well, I kind of did have some plans." He stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have called you first. I'll go ahead and go and get out of your way." She said scrambling to get up from the couch. She yelped when she felt his arms circle around her waist as she tumbled down on top of him. "Nathan!" She exclaimed trying to catch her balance.

"I do have plans-with my best friend." He said smiling at her.

She couldn't help but get lost in his smirklike smile. She failed to realize that she was still sitting in his lap as his arms held her tightly and close against him. She stared into his piercing blue eyes. That was her favorite feature on him. He had the most soulful eyes. He never really had to use any words. He told everything through his eyes. They were so expressive.

Nathan didn't seem to realize their closeness either. He, too, was caught up in her. He studied the contours of her face. He always knew how beautiful she was. She didn't even have to try-she was a natural beauty. She never wore any makeup in high school. Not even to their prom. Even now, the makeup she wore was light and natural. It was mainly a shimmer or a light shade of color to simply enhance her already beautiful features. His eyes zoned in on her lips, and he found himself wanting to taste her once again. But just as suddenly as that thought entered his mind, he snapped back to reality. He looked into her eyes and saw her doing the same.

"Are you sure you don't have plans tonight, because I can really just go?" She said pulling herself out of his lap and resting on the cushion next to him.

"No, Hales, I don't have any plans for tonight. And I would really like to spend some time with you. Things have been kind of crazy, and we haven't had the chance to hang out." He said.

"So, everything is okay between us?" She asked timidly.

"Of course, Hales. We're okay." He said calming her fears slightly. "So, what do you want to do tonight? Do you want to go out?" He asked trying to move on from the unsettling tension between them.

"Actually, I was thinking we could stay in. Maybe order a pizza and watch some movies. What do you think?" She asked.

"I think that sounds like a great idea." He agreed.

The two ordered a pizza and were now settled on his couch. He was sitting on the end with the recliner popped out and his feet stretched in front of him. Haley was saddled into his side with his arm wrapped protectively around her. She rested her head on his shoulder laying comfortably under a blanket. After eating, they didn't really say anything. They just put in a dvd and cuddled together like old times.

**Okay, I should have another update soon. I promise it won't be as long of a wait as it was for this one. There's finally going to be a Dan/Nathan conversation next chapter. And I'm going to start adding a few flashbacks to give you guys some more insight into Nathan and Haley's relationship/friendship with one another. And there will definitely be a flashback soon to the night they slept together. They haven't really openly talked about what happened yet. And there's definitely a much needed conversation/arguement between them. It sort of sets the catalyst to them becoming/admitting there's more than just friendship between them.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. And until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**First off, I want to say sorry for the wait. But I was in a car accident, so I feel like I have a legitimate excuse. LOL! Anyway, life is going more smoothly now, and I should be getting back on track. And this chapter is a bit longer so hopefully, that makes up for the wait. ****The beginning of this chapter is a flashback. And I will warn you, it talks about what happened between Haley and her father. I didn't want to go too into detail, because I can't write something like that. I just wanted to give you guys a slight warning that it does contain some references to what happened. Also, I included a song in this chapter. I tried formatting the song so it would be easy to read, and I'm not sure if it worked. If not-I apologize for any difficulty in reading it. **

**I also wanted to say thank you so much for all of your guys' reviews. I love hearing so much what you guys liked/didn't like about the chapters. And to those of you not reviewing but reading, I hope you're still enjoying the story. And I hope you guys continue reading and enjoying. So please, read and let me know what you think. ****Anyway...happy reading!**

_Haley quietly walked into the darkened bedroom. With the faint light from the open doorway, she noticed his silhouette sleeping in his bed. She carefully closed the door before tip-toeing her way over to the bed. She pulled the blankets back and climbed into the bed. She snuggled into the pillow trying to will herself to fall asleep. A second later, she felt the bed shift slightly. "Haley?" She heard his questioning voice and couldn't stop the tears from falling._

_As soon as he heard her crying, he pulled her into his arms. He heard her whimper slightly and realized he must have pressed against some of her bruising. It's been a couple days since it happened. The courts granted his parents a very temporary custody. At the end of the week, she had to go back to CPS until the final hearing. He held her tightly and gently in his arms allowing her to just cry. He didn't say anything nor did she. He just ran his arms soothingly up and down her back trying to comfort her in any way he could._

_Minutes passed by before Haley finally began to calm down. "Hales, are you okay?" He asked quietly._

_"I'm sorry, Nathan." She choked out._

_"It's okay. What happened?" He asked._

_"I keep dreaming about it. I can't stop. I close my eyes and it replays itself in my mind over and over again. I just want it to go away. I don't want to keep thinking about it, Nathan. I don't know what to do. Please just make it stop." She cried into his shirt._

_Nathan felt a part of his heart break at hearing her words. He had no idea what to say or do to help her. Nobody prepares you for something like this. What was he supposed to say? 'Don't worry-give it time. You'll get over it.' It doesn't work like that. All he wanted was to take away her pain. He would give anything to make that happen. But he didn't know what to do. They were only eleven years old. How do you deal with something this big and painful? It's hard at any age, but they were still so young. __She didn't deserve any of this, __and it killed a part of him. "I'm so sorry, Hales." He apologized almost inaudibly feeling his own tears forming in his eyes._

_She pulled back slightly, and he brushed the tears away from her face. "I just don't know what to do." She admitted quietly._

_"I think you should you go to that therapist the doctor suggested." He suggested carefully._

_"Do you really think it will help?" She asked._

_"Yes, I do. I don't know what to say to you, Hales. I don't have the right words or know the right thing to do." He admitted. __"And I'm just afraid of what might happen if you don't deal with it soon." He continued._

_"Will you go with me?" She asked timidly._

_"Of course. Anything you need, I'm here." He said._

_"Thank you." She said._

_"You're welcome." He responded. "How about you try to get some sleep. I'm right here, okay. Everything's okay, and I won't let anything happen to you." He said as she nodded. They snuggled under the blankets as he held her in his arms._

* * *

><p><em>Nathan and Haley sat comfortably side by side on the couch in the therapist's office. Haley was sitting with her legs under<em>_neath her as she sat Indian-style. Nathan's right arm was resting on her left leg as he held her hand in his. The therapist was sitting in a chair across from them. There was about half an hour left of Haley's session. The first thirty minutes basically consisted of 'getting to know you'._

_"Haley, you mentioned that you like to write poems and lyrics. What do you write about?" The therapist asked._

_"I don't know...life." Haley answered._

_"Well, that's pretty vague. What about life?"_

_"I guess, my life. My friendships. My family. My mom. My dad." She answered quietly casting her eyes down to her lap._

_"Your mother passed away, correct?" She asked gently._

_"Yeah. She died while having me." Haley answered._

_"Do you know anything about her?"_

_"Yes. Deb has told me so many stories about her. She's shown me a bunch of pictures of her. She said that my mom was so excited when she found out she was pregnant and even moreso after finding out I was a girl. She talked to me about how happy and in love my parents were." Haley said._

_"Tell me about your relationship with your father."_

_"I don't really know him. He was never really home. He never really talked to me." Haley said._

_"Why do you think that is?"_

_"He blames me for my mom's death." Haley answered._

_"When did he start drinking?"_

_"When I was eight. At least, that's when I noticed it. He started coming home drunk and drinking at home. He started yelling at me more and more. Usually I would just lock myself in my bedroom or go to Nathan's house until I felt it was safe to return home. I was usually able to escape and get away. At least until..."_

_"Until that night." The therapist finished as Haley nodded. "What happened that night?"_

_Nathan felt Haley's body tense next to him, and he squeezed her hand tighter. He sent her an encouraging smile to let her know that she was okay to talk about it. "I was in my bedroom reading a book when I heard him stumbling up the stairs. __I shut my eyes and prayed that he would go straight to his bedroom. But then, he came into mine. He was drunk-probably the worst I had ever seen. He didn't say anything right away. He just stood in the doorway and stared at me. He was hold__ing a beer bottle taking a drink out of it every now and then. I went to set my book down on my nightstand trying to avoid his gaze. As I reached over, he finally spoke."_

_"What did he say?" The therapist prodded gently when Haley stopped to take a moment._

_"He said I looked just like her." Haley answered quietly. This time, she felt Nathan's body tense next to her. He gripped her hand tighter within his-not hard enough that it hurt but hard enough for her to feel a very mild discomfort. She glanced over at him and noticed him staring intently straight ahead. His face was tense and his jaw was locked. She took a deep breath before turning back towards the therapist. "And then, he came towards the bed. He started touching me and I umm, __I begged him to stop. I started crying and trying to get away so he slapped me a few times. I don't really know how many times he slapped me or how much time went by. And then he...he, umm..."_

_"It's okay, Haley. You don't have to explain anything further, okay." The lady quickly intervened as Haley nodded feeling a couple tears slide down her cheeks. "Well, Haley, we are about out of time for today. Do you want to keep up with these weekly meetings?"_

_"Yes." Haley answered quietly._

_"Okay, good. I want you to do something for me for your next session. I want you to write for me. It can be in a journal entry or a poem or song lyrics-any form of writing. I want you to bring in two samples. They should be about what you're feeling from that night or what happened. Basically, about your life at the current moment. It can be very difficult and painful to vocalize things. Sometimes writing it down helps you express everything more clearly. Okay?" She said as Haley shook her head in acceptance. "You did great today, Haley. Just remember to take things one day at a time."_

* * *

><p><em>Haley laid in her bed staring at the journal in front of her. It's been five days since her first therapy session. She was now at CPS. She hated it. She wanted to go back to the Scott's. Dan and Deb told her to hang in there for just a little bit longer. <em>_She would be back with them in no time. They were already getting her room together. Deb said that Dan and Nathan brought all of her stuff over to the house while she finished painting and setting everything up. Nathan came by everyday. __School was out, but he had summer basketball practice. But he still came everyday-either in the morning before practice or in the evening after practice._

_She had her second therapy session in two days, and she was somewhat looking forward to it. She was even going to go by herself without Nathan or anyone else. Nathan had bought her this new journal she's been wanting for a long time, and she immediately started writing. She actually found it pretty theraputic. She finished the "assignment" that the therapist gave her. She looked down and read through what she wrote and smiled at her finished work._

_Because of You_

_I will not make  
>The same mistakes that you did<br>I will not let myself  
>'Cause my heart so much misery<em>

_I will not break  
>The way you did, you fell so hard<br>I've learned the hard way  
>To never let it get that far<em>

_Because of you  
>I never stray too far from the sidewalk<br>Because of you  
>I learned to play on the safe side<br>So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you  
>I find it hard to trust<br>Not only me, but everyone around me  
>Because of you<br>I am afraid_

_I lose my way  
>And it's not too long before you point it out<br>I cannot cry  
>Because I know that's weakness in your eyes<em>

_I'm forced to fake  
>A smile, a laugh, every day of my life<br>My heart can't possibly break  
>When it wasn't even whole to start with<em>

_Because of you  
>I never stray too far from the sidewalk<br>Because of you  
>I learned to play on the safe side<br>So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you  
>I find it hard to trust<br>Not only me, but everyone around me  
>Because of you<br>I am afraid_

_I watched you die  
>I heard you cry<br>Every night in your sleep  
>I was so young<br>You should have known  
>Better than to lean on me<em>

_You never thought of anyone else  
>You just saw your pain<br>And now I cry in the middle of the night  
>Over the same damn thing<em>

_Because of you  
>I never stray too far from the sidewalk<br>Because of you  
>I learned to play on the safe side<br>So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you  
>I tried my hardest just to forget everything<br>Because of you  
>I don't know how to let anyone else in<em>

_Because of you  
>I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty<br>Because of you  
>I am afraid<em>

_Because of you  
>Because of you<em>

Haley woke up suddenly when she heard her cell phone ringing loudly. She groaned into her pillow before reaching for it on her nightstand. Not bothering to look at the caller id, she answered. "Hello." She greeted tiredly.

"Hey, Haley!" The voice greeted with a perky tone.

Haley looked over to her alarm clock and saw that it was just five passed five. "What the hell, Brooke? Why are you calling me so early?" She complained.

"Oh please, it isn't early. So, what are you doing?" Brooke asked cheerfully.

"I'm sleeping, Brooke." Haley said incredulously.

"Sleeping is overrated." Brooke said as Haley rolled her eyes before falling back to her bed. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Lucas and I have decided to throw a Halloween party tonight. You know, considering it's Halloween and all."

Haley couldn't help but chuckle even though she was incredibly pissed at Brooke for waking her up. "You and Lucas? So, are you guys finally admitting that you're together?" She questioned.

"No, we are not together. We are just two friends who are throwing a party together-a kickass party in which you have to come or we cannot be friends anymore. It's a costume party, and you and I are going shopping later today. I already have my costume-and it's totally hot by the way-but now I have to find something for you." Brooke said.

"I'm pretty sure I'm capable of finding my own costume." Haley countered.

"I'm sure you are, but it doesn't matter. I want to find you something very sexy and very revealing." Brooke smirked.

"Okay...sexy but not slutty. Please, Brooke." Haley said.

"Agreed-sexy not slutty. But, Haley, you are getting out of your comfort zone and into mine." Brooke said.

"Whatever. Are you done? Because I would really like to go back to sleep now." Haley said.

"Fine. Go back to sleep. I'll call you later when I'm on my way. Bye, love!" Brooke exclaimed before disconnecting the call. Haley sighed before throwing her phone onto the nightstand and snuggling back underneath her covers. Just as she felt herself dozing off back to sleep, her phone rang once again. She hastily grabbed it and pushed answer. "Oh my God, at this point I don't give a damn how slutty it is!" She exclaimed angrily into the phone.

"How slutty what is?" A male's voice said.

"Nathan. Hey, I'm sorry. I thought you were Brooke." Haley apologized.

"Hey, it's okay. Although, I'm thinking of calling up Brooke and warning her to steer clear of you today." He joked causing her to let out a tired laugh. "Let me guess...Brooke called and woke you up." He said.

"Yes, she did. And speaking of, so did you. What on earth are you calling me so early in the morning for?" She asked as she placed the phone between her ear and her pillow before snuggling back under her warm covers.

"I'm sorry for waking you, but I've been working for sixteen hours straight. I just got home and can't seem to fall asleep. I'm so exhausted, but it's as if I'm wide awake at the same time. I need you to help me fall asleep." He said.

"Nathan!" She whined.

"What? I always used to call you when I couldn't sleep. You are the only one who can help me. Please." He pleaded.

"No, because here's what's going to happen. I'm going to help you fall asleep, and then, I'm going to be wide awake. You're not the only one who's exhausted." She argued.

"Did you just work a sixteen hour shift?" He countered.

"No, but I'm the one who has to go shopping with Brooke in a few hours." She retorted as he instantly started laughing. "It really isn't funny. I'm dreading this so much."

"I'm sorry, Hales. I wouldn't wish shopping with Brooke on anyone. What are you shopping for anyway?" He asked.

"A costume for this stupid Halloween party she and Lucas are throwing tonight." She answered.

"Sounds like fun. Knowing Brooke, it's going to be pretty risque." He said.

"Umm, no. We already agreed that it can be sexy but not slutty. Anyway, you are coming tonight, right?" She asked.

"Of course, I'm coming. I never turn down a party, Hales. I already have my costume and everything." He answered.

"Really? And what are you going as?" She asked intrigued.

"A marine." He answered.

"Are you kidding? You're probably going to be wearing your military uniform, aren't you?" She asked laughing.

"Yes, I am. Look, I hate Halloween. The notion of dressing up is completely ridiculous and childish." He said.

"You didn't think that when we were younger. In fact, I remember a certain someone making us wear similar costumes one year and dragging me all over his neighborhood trick 'or' treating." She smirked.

"Oh, yes, I remember that Halloween. That was a fun night. I was a professional basketball player while you were my referee. I've got to say, Hales, you were quite the cute little referee." He said.

"Yeah, yeah." She laughed.

"You know, we could always do that again tonight. We could have matching costumes if you want. You know-relive our young teenage years a little bit." He suggested.

"How about you just focus on wearing your _costume_ while I focus on finding one for myself." She said as he agreed. "Are you tired yet? Because I'm about to fall asleep here, Nathan." She said.

"Fine, I'll let you go. I think I'll be able to fall asleep myself." He relented.

"Thank you. Goodnight-well, good morning actually." She said.

"Hey, Hales." He called before she could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you get something really sexy for tonight." He said before ending the call.

Haley couldn't help but smile shyly as she felt the blush cover her face. She placed her phone on the other pillow on her bed before snuggling further into her blankets willing herself to fall back into her peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p>The party was in full swing as everyone was drinking, conversing, and having a great time. Lucas, Brooke, Clay, Peyton, Jake, Mouth, and Nathan were all congregated in the kitchen munching on some snacks and sipping their alcohol. Lucas was dressed up as a pirate, Clay was dressed as a vampire, Mouth was dressed up as someone from the disco decade, and Jake was dressed up as some type of superhero which Nathan couldn't really identify. Peyton was dressed up as the very fitting Angel of Death while Brooke was dressed up as a very revealing Devil. The girls looked hot-that much was obvious. Nathan was in his marine uniform, of course. He hated costume parties, but Brooke specifically said that everyone had to dress up. So, he settled for his marine uniform as his costume. He wasn't about to waste his money on anything else. He kept glancing towards the entrance waiting for Haley to arrive. The party started an hour ago, and she still was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Don't worry, Nate, she's coming." A voice said causing him to break out of his thoughts.

"What?" He questioned.

"Haley. That's who you're looking for, right?" Brooke said.

"Yeah. She is coming right?" He asked.

"Oh, she's coming. And she has a smoking costume. You will definitely like it." She said eyeing him up and down. He looked at her completely confused. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. She was once again displaying her "Brooke" smirk which was never a good thing. "Oh, speak of the devil. Oh wait, that's me." She said as everyone laughed. She looked at Nathan and pointed towards the direction of the entrance.

Nathan followed where she was pointing to as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. "Damn." He breathed out.

Haley walked into the kitchen wearing a military costume. She had on a low-cut black tank top revealing a considerable amount of cleavage with a camouflage jacket which had short sleeves and stopped right under her breasts. She had them paired with a mid-thigh poofy camouflage skirt. She was wearing black knee-high boots. And her costume was completed with a camouflage military hat. Her long, gorgeous brown hair cascaded down her back and shoulders with a slight curl.

Nathan was in a trance as she walked further into the kitchen until she was standing directly in front of him. He snapped out of his daze when he heard the whistles of all of his friends.

"You are looking mighty fine, Haley James." Clay said as everyone else quickly sang out their praises to her. She winked and smiled at them before turning her attention back to Nathan. "And what do you think?" She asked.

"I think you decided to go ahead with my idea." He smirked at her.

"Well, I couldn't let you have all the fun. I came across this while shopping with Brooke and thought, 'What the hell?' I thought maybe you had a point in reliving our past. And I've always had a thing for guys in uniforms." She smirked and winked at him. "Plus, I am totally in love with this costume. I think I look pretty damn good." She said.

"Yes, you do." He agreed as they locked eyes with one another. "What can I get you to drink?" He said breaking out of their heated gaze.

"How about just some cranberry with vodka?" She said as he immediately started working on her drink.

"So, why did you come so late? I know you weren't working." He stated.

"Oh, I was talking to Julian. He had a major exam he was studying for, and I was helping him relax and trying to calm down his nerves." She answered. She couldn't help but notice the way he tensed at the mention of Julian. She hated that. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable. She wanted them to be able to talk about this and not feel any awkwardness. They used to be able to talk about everything. She missed that. She just prayed that they would eventually transition back into that.

"So, he isn't doing anything tonight. No partying or anything." He questioned.

"No. Julian's not much of the partying type. He has that test, and even if he didn't, he would probably be hauled up in his dormroom reading a book or something." She said.

"Sounds like someone else I know." He said looking pointedly at her.

"Yes, it does. That's why we make a good pair." She said without even thinking.

"The perfect couple." He deadpanned while handing her her drink.

Haley sighed while taking the cup out of his hand. He wasn't even looking at her. His whole body was tense, and his face was tight and rigid. She opened her mouth to say something, but he turned away from her and struck up a conversation with Mouth. Clay had taken off as soon as he found his willing partner for the night. Brooke dragged Lucas out into the living room for a dance. Jake and Peyton were making out in a corner of the kitchen still in their "honeymoon" phase. Haley began to feel slightly uncomfortable with nobody to talk to. She noticed Mouth and Nathan making their way out of the kitchen yelling to her that they would be back shortly. She dejectively sat herself down on a stool and reached for the full bottle of tequila in front of her.

A few hours later, Nathan made his way back towards the kitchen. He knew he was acting like a jerk towards Haley, and he felt really guilty. He just couldn't stop himself as soon as she mentioned Julian. He didn't want to think about him tonight. His name always drifted into their conversations now. It never failed. He wanted his best friend back, but he didn't want Julian along with her.

Everyone was pretty well clearing out for the night. Clay left with his flavor of the night. Mouth left because he had to work early the next morning. Jake and Peyton had also left. Lucas and Brooke had disappear about an hour ago-probably making good use of his bedroom at the moment. Nathan shook away those thoughts and continued his journey to the kitchen. He hadn't seen Haley the rest of the night honestly. He was avoiding her. He could definitely admit that. He didn't know what had gotten into him. When he saw her for the first time tonight, a million fantasies pulsed through his mind. She looked so incredibly sexy, and he wanted nothing more than to drag her into the bedroom and have his way with her. But as soon as she mentioned Julian, reality came into play. He felt bad, but he knew that he had to get away from her.

He walked into the kitchen and frowned when he saw her passed out with her head down on the table. The hand resting in her lap was holding a half empty bottle of tequila. He quickly made his way over to her and pried the bottle out of her hand and placed it onto the table. "Haley. Come on, Hales. We've gotta go." He said pulling her up into his arms. She felt completely limp in his arms, and he couldn't wake her up. He swept her into his arms and turned around just as Lucas came walking in. His costume was off, and he was shirtless wearing only a pair of sweatpants. "It's a good thing everyone has left." Nathan joked.

"Let them look. I'm hot. What can I do?" Lucas shrugged.

"Things are going well with Brooke I take it." Nathan said.

"That would be correct. I just came down to grab some whipped cream." Lucas smirked.

"Dude, I didn't need that visual in my mind." Nathan cringed as Lucas laughed.

"Anyway...you need any help with her?" Lucas asked pointing towards Haley.

"No. Actually, I'm beat and I've been drinking. Clay left for the night, right?" Nathan questioned as Lucas nodded. "Do you care if we take his bedroom? I don't think I should be driving home. And she's pretty well gone for the night." He asked.

"I don't care. You know where it is. I'll see you in the morning." Lucas said while heading towards the fridge. Nathan thanked him while carrying Haley down the hall towards Clay's bedroom. He closed the door behind him before dropping Haley down onto the bed. He pulled the boots off of her legs and had to fight every urge that was was coursing through his body at the moment. He couldn't stop his eyes from wondering up her legs, though. That was impossible considering how short her skirt was. But other than that, he controlled himself remarkably well. He pulled back the blanket and moved her under them before he walked to the other side and climbed in next to her. It only took just a few seconds before he passed out as well.

* * *

><p>Haley awoke with a pounding headache. It was so bad that she honestly felt as if she could die from the pain. She tried to sit up which she realized was a major mistake. She flew back down to the bed and gently messaged her temple. She felt so sick. She felt the bed move slightly causing her to look to her right where she noticed Nathan passed out next to her. She moved her focus back up towards the ceiling before closing her eyes.<p>

She suddenly remembered the previous night and groaned quietly. However, she snapped her eyes back open when she heard something. She turned to her left and noticed Clay placing a glass of water and a couple aspirins on the nightstand next to the bed. She had to squint slightly to realize who it was.

"And how are you feeling today, Haley James?" He smirked.

"God, why do you insist on saying my first and last name?" She groaned out in irritation.

"Well, I can see what type of mood you're in on this fine day." Clay laughed. "For the record, if anyone should be complaining, it should be me. I came home wanting to crawl into my nice, comfy bed only to find the two of you passed out in it." He said.

"I'm sorry, but I actually don't feel too bad right now." She said causing him to laugh even more.

"I understand. Hangovers are always such a joy. Anyway, I brought you some water and some aspirin. I'm sure you're going to be wanting these." He said handing them over to her. She quickly swallowed the two pills and some water before laying back down on the bed.

"I need to get home so I can crawl into my own bed and sleep all day." She said smiling at the thought.

"Did you drive over here last night?" He asked.

"No, I took a cab." She answered.

"Okay. Well, get up and I'll drive you home." He said.

"You don't have to do that, Clay." She said.

"Actually, I do. Getting you home is the only way I'm going to get my bed back." He joked causing her to laugh.

"Oh, don't make me laugh." She said. She felt him pull the blankets away from her before helping her out of the bed. "Should we wake him up, too?" She asked hesitantly looking over to Nathan.

The truth was that she wasn't interested in talking to him at the moment. She was still really hurt from the previous night at the party. He completely ignored her. She never even saw him again after she first showed up. She thought last night was going to be fun, but she had a horrible night. She questioned why she even bothered to come. Instead of spending the evening with her best friend like she had hoped, she spent the night drinking. And as a reward, she received the world's worst hangover.

"Nah, he can wake his own ass up. Just as long as he's up and out of my bed by the time I get back home." He said as the two walked out of the bedroom.

* * *

><p>Nathan strolled into his father's office still feeling the effects of the previous night. He noticed his father typing away at his computer as he took a seat in one of the chairs located in front of the desk. "Hey, Nathan." Dan greeted noticing his son's presense.<p>

"Hey, dad." Nathan returned.

"You look like hell." Dan commented.

"Great to see you, too." Nathan muttered.

"I'm guessing you had a good time last night." Dan stated.

"Not really." Nathan said.

"Why not?" Dan questioned.

"Well, I was kind of a dick towards Haley. I mean, I didn't say anything to her, but that's why I was kind of a dick. I ignored her all night, because I didn't want to hear about her relationship with Julian. And then, when I was finally ready to call it a night and go home, I found her passed out in the kitchen. She drank almost an entire bottle of tequila." Nathan said.

"She was drinking?" Dan questioned alarmed.

"Yeah, but don't worry, she didn't drive home. We actually both passed out in Clay's bedroom. He drove her home this morning where I'm assuming she's still trying to sleep off her hangover." Nathan said.

"She shouldn't have been drinking that much. You should have made sure she wasn't drinking that much. This is the third time since she's been home that she's gotten drunk." Dan said.

"It really wasn't a big deal, dad. She's just catching up on all those years she missed during high school, and I'm sure college." Nathan joked. He noticed the look on his father's face, though. He wasn't happy or amused whatsoever.

"Nathan, please just watch over her. I don't want her drinking too much. Just promise me that you'll keep an eye on her, okay?" Dan said.

"What's the big dea..."

"Nathan, please!" Dan interrupted sternly.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on her." Nathan said still confused as to why his father was acting this way. He passed it off as him just being overprotective, though.

"Thank you." Dan said in a calmer voice as Nathan nodded. "Anyway, what brings you here today? Normally, you avoid me at all costs." He said changing the subject. The truth was that he hadn't seen much of his son since they met Julian. They interracted at work when necessary but that was all. "Do you need something or are you actually here just to visit with your old man?"

"Just to visit." Nathan answered.

"Really?" Dan questioned skeptically.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Nathan retorted.

"Actually...yeah." Dan said causing Nathan to roll his eyes. "So, how is life going for you these days?" He asked.

"Wonderful." Nathan deadpanned.

"Well, I noticed you've been spending more time with Haley. That's a good thing, right?" Dan said.

"I guess." Nathan said as Dan urged him to elaborate. "I don't know. Haley and I keep going through this back and forth thing. One minute we're talking and joking around, and then the next minute, we're arguing or ignoring one another. That is kind of a lie. It's actually me who's doing the ignoring. Things are just so complicated." He said.

"Because of Julian." Dan deduced and instantly noticed how tense his son became. "Nathan, I know you're having a hard time with all of this, but..."

"I'm fine, dad." Nathan interrupted. "Yes, it's shocking and I'm still adjusting. But honestly, Haley's and my relationship was already strained before Julian came into the picture."

"True but now with Julian, it just adds one more obstacle. Listen, I know you're worried about what's going to happen with you and Haley. And I know you're worried of losing her, but you won't." Dan reassured.

"It's just...Haley has always been the most important person in my life." Nathan began as Dan nodded in understanding. "And we've always been there for each other, and she's like the only person who truly understands me. And once she gets married, everything's going to change. I want her to be happy, I really do. It's just hard." He finished quietly.

"How do you feel about Julian?" Dan asked changing the subject slightly.

"He seems like a nice guy." Nathan answered vaguely.

"Yeah. I think he really truly loves Haley, and that's all I want and hope for. As long as he treats her right and with respect, then I have no problems with him. I look forward to the getting to know him better, though. Aside from dinner, did you get a chance to talk to him at all?" Dan asked.

"No. Again, I stayed away until he was gone." Nathan said as Dan shot him a look. "I know-it's the whole avoidance thing I'm very good at. Is it wrong that I don't care to get to know him?" He continued.

"Well, son, you're going to have to get to know him. Whether we like it or not, Haley is getting married to him." Dan said.

"We? Are you saying that you're not exactly on board with this wedding either?" Nathan questioned surprised.

"Look, I don't have a problem with Julian or with Haley getting married. Like you, I just want to see Haley happy. She's like a daughter to me, and her happiness is all I could want for her. But the same goes with you. I want you to be happy, Nathan. I want you both to be happy." Dan said.

"And what does my happiness have to do with Haley getting married?" Nathan countered.

"What do you think?" Dan challenged. He waited for Nathan to say something in return, but he didn't. He just looked down avoiding any eye contact with his father. Dan took a long, deep breath before opening his mouth to speak again. "Nathan, what happened between you and Haley before you left for the Marines?"

"Dad, that's between me and Haley." Nathan dismissed.

"I understand, and I don't mean to pry. It's none of my business. But have you and Haley even sat down and talked about it?" Dan questioned as Nathan shook his head hesitantly. "You both want to get back to how things used to be, but you won't ever be able to unless you talk about it. It was obviously something pretty big that is still greatly affecting the both of you."

"It's not that easy, dad." Nathan said.

"No, it is. It's you and Haley who are making it so difficult. It's time for you both to grow up and face whatever happened in the past. Face it, deal with it, and move forward." Dan said sternly. For the first time, he actually felt that he may have gotten through to his son.

**Okay, there you guys go. I know there wasn't much Naley (present time) in this chapter. But don't worry, things are going to be heating up between them real soon. There are going to be more flashbacks as well, but I'm going to try to make sure I have a good balance between present time and the past. I also am going to have some scenes between Dan and Haley. I'm a huge fan of Dan/Haley and Paul/Joy, and I wish we had more scenes between them on the actual show. I'm hoping for some in season 9 (especially if James is going to be part-time)!**

**Also, a couple more characters (aside from Julian) will be making an appearance in the story very soon. And more about why Haley took a year off in college will come out. And I know you want to know what happened when Nathan and Haley slept together. I promise there will be a flashback to that but probably not for a little while.**

**Anyway, hopefully, I won't take too long to have another chapter up. I have started on the next one, and I'm off all day tomorrow. As of right now, I don't have any plans either. And considering I'm without a vehicle (my rental isn't ready yet which I'm not happy about!) for probably a month. Good news is my car isn't totaled, but they basically have to take it completely apart and repaint it and everything. But I'm not complaining, because it could have been much worse. Nobody was hurt too badly which is a relief. That's all that matters! But off topic sorry-I should have another chapter up soon. I'm really hoping tomorrow night or Monday morning. Until then!**

**The song I used in this chapter was Because of You by Kelly Clarkson.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, here's another chapter. It's not as long, because it's basically a filler. It's just to set up for the next chapter. There's a little bit more revealed about Haley's past. There aren't any flashbacks in this chapter, either. Honestly, it isn't my favorite chapter. Again, thank you for your reviews-you guys are awesome!**** So, anyway, read and let me know what you think!**

Haley made her way through the banquet hall checking on all of the last minute details. The Pussycat Dolls were putting on a concert later that night. It's been a couple days since the Halloween party. She hasn't spoken to Nathan since that night. It's not necessarily that she's been ignoring him. She has been really busy preparing for the concert. But she'd also be lying if she said she wasn't ignoring him completely. The truth was that she was still upset. She knows she should just get over it-it really wasn't that big of a deal, but she couldn't let it go. And not just that night-everything. She was tired of him ignoring her and treating her as if she is completely wrong in everything she does.

Exhausted, she took a seat at one of the tables in the banquet hall. She smiled when she saw Dan approaching her. She's been so busy the past couple of days and hasn't had a chance to talk to him. "Hey, Dan." She greeted.

"Hey, Haley." He returned warmly while taking a seat across from her at the table. "You have everything all set up and ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes-finally! I am just waiting for the girls to arrive." She answered.

"That's good." He said.

Haley watched him questioningly. She could tell there was something he was wanting to say but was obviously a little worried. "What is it?" She asked.

"What is what?" He questioned confused.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about? You get that same look on your face that Nathan does whenever he has something to say. So, what is it?" She prodded.

"I just wanted to know how you're dealing with everything." He said.

"I'm fine, but that's not all. There's clearly something more you want to say." She said as he let out a small laugh in amusement. "It's the Scott look. Come on, Dan. Say whatever it is you have to say. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

"I just...Nathan was telling me about the Halloween party the other night. He said you were drinking." He began carefully as she nodded softly before looking down at the table. "That's the third time since you've been home, Haley. I know how tough it's been adjusting to everything, but I..."

"I know, Dan. I promise you it's nothing serious." She interrupted.

"It's not like the last time?" He questioned.

"No, it's not." She assured.

"I'm just worried about you. It starts out as something small but turns into something big. And since you've had a dependency on it in the past, you have a higher risk of it turning into something more. I just...I worry about you, sweetie. And I don't want you to have to go through that again." He said.

"I know you do. And I promise that I won't let that happen. And you have my word that if I start feeling like I'm losing control, I'll come to you and Deb. The first couple of times I drank since I've been home was purely for fun. I was just having a good time with everyone and Nathan. The Halloween party was the one time I used alcohol as an escape since I've been home. Things with Nathan are so frustrating, and I just wanted to escape. But I promise it didn't effect me in the way it used to. I won't let it. And I will be so much more careful now than I used to be." She said.

"Okay. I just wanted to talk to you about it. And I want you to know that I'm here anytime you need to talk. If you feel your control slipping away-come to me. If you want to bitch about my son..." He began as they both laughed. "Come to me. Okay?" He finished.

"Okay. I will." She agreed.

"Now, that aside, how are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm okay." She answered.

"You know, Nathan came to see me the other day. Can you believe that he actually came just to talk?" He said as she let out a disbelieving laugh. "Anyway, he was feeling a little guilty for how he treated you at the party. Have you guys talked since then?"

"No, we haven't. We need to, it's just...well, if there's one thing we're both good at-it's avoiding each other." She said.

"That's for sure." Dan nodded in agreement. "You're both extremely stubborn. You know, I told Nathan this and now I'm going to tell you. You guys need to talk about everything. And by everything, I mean whatever happened in the past. You aren't going to get passed it if you never talk about it." He said.

"I know. You're right. Sometimes it's just easier to avoid." She said.

"So, Julian seems like a great guy." He said changing the subject.

"He is." She agreed.

"I'm anxious to get to know him a little better. He's still moving here in January, right?" He asked.

"Yeah. He's really excited about it, and he thinks the family is really great." She said. Silence drifted over them for a few seconds before Haley broke it. "Dan, can I ask you something?" She asked timidly while looking down at the table.

"Of course." He responded immediately.

"When you met Deb and started dating her, what made you sure that marrying her was the right thing to do? I mean, it obviously was but how did you know?" She asked.

"Honestly, I didn't know. And truthfully, I was scared shitless." He said causing her to laugh. "I don't know, I guess there was a moment when I just felt it was the right step for our relationship. I didn't know what was going to happen-all I knew was that I loved her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. And I know now it was the right thing to do." He said as she just nodded. "Are you having second thoughts?" He questioned quietly.

"I, umm...no, I'm not. I love Julian." She stammered.

"Haley, it's okay to have second thoughts. And it's okay not to be ready. Marriage is a very serious committment, and it's not something you take lightly. You know Deb and I support you in whatever decision you make. Just make sure you know it's what you want before it's too late." He advised.

"Thank you, Dan." She said.

* * *

><p>Haley walked into the house ready to face whatever the night may bring. It's been a couple days since her talk with Dan, and she still hasn't talked to Nathan. And she can honestly say she's been avoiding him, but he's been avoiding her as well. She didn't know why she was still so upset. She is not the type of person who holds grudges. And it may seem silly to be so upset over what happened at the Halloween party, but it's more than that. She's not upset over just that. She's upset about everything. She's just tired of it all.<p>

So, here she was-walking into the house to have dinner with Dan, Deb, and Nathan. Dan called her earlier and asked her to come over. He said that he and Deb had something they wanted to talk to both Nathan and her about. She made her way through the living room only to come face to face with Nathan. "Hey." She greeted quietly.

"Hey." He returned just as quietly. She knew he was just as uncomfortable as she was. They stood there avoiding any kind of eye contact with one another. "How have you been?" He asked breaking the deafening silence.

"Good. You?" She asked.

"Good." He answered as the silence once again consumed them. They both let out a sigh of relief when they heard Deb calling from the kitchen. Nathan stepped aside to allow Haley to go first as he followed closely behind.

"So, what did you guys want to talk to us about?" Nathan asked as the four of them were sitting at the table eating.

"Well, Christmas is approaching very soon. And this is the first year that we have all been together in six years, and your father and I wanted to make this Christmas very special. We have decided to rent out a villa in Colorado for Christmas and for New Years." Deb revealed in excitement catching both Nathan and Haley off gaurd.

"What?" They both asked surprised.

"Yeah. Isn't it perfect? The whole family spending Christmas and New Years together!" Deb continued on.

"Deb, I don't think I can go." Haley said.

"Why not?" Deb asked.

"Well, I...I, umm, I have work." Haley said stammering to find an answer.

"Actually, you don't." Dan chimed in as both Nathan and Haley turned their attention towards him. "Neither of you do. In case you forgot, you work for me. And I just gave you guys some paid time off." He continued.

"Dan, I can't do that. I just started, and that wouldn't be right." Haley said.

"And I'm really busy." Nathan added.

"Doing what?" Dan challenged. He had to bite back the smirk that was threatening to fall from his lips. He knew exactly why neither Nathan nor Haley wanted to go. And that's exactly why he suggested this family vacation with Deb who readily agreed. Of course, Deb was so clueless when it comes to the relationship between them that she didn't think anything of it. She was just excited to spend time together as a family like they used to. Dan, however, wanted Nathan and Haley to be put into a situation where they would have to talk to one another. He only hoped that they would finally discuss all of their issues.

"Well, I have to work also." Nathan answered lamely.

"No, you don't. Like I said. I'm your boss-both of your bosses. You guys are taking that time off, and we are going on this family vacation. You understand me?" Dan said sternly.

All Nathan and Haley could do was nod. No matter how old they got, whenever Dan used a tone in his voice like the one he just used, they knew not to debate anything. He was serious, and they knew they were going-no question about it.

"Good. So, now that we've settled that. How..."

"Actually, hang on just a second, Dan." Deb interrupted him. "Haley, I think you should invite Julian to come with us." She said.

"What?" Dan asked looking abruptly at his wife. That was not part of his plan.

"I think it would be a great opportunity for us to get to know him and for him to get to know us." Deb said.

"I don't think Julian will be able to go. He's really busy, Deb." Haley said chimed in quickly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nathan. He was staring down at the plate sitting on the table in front of him. If they were both forced to spend the holidays with one another, the last thing they needed was to have Julian there. Things were already so tense and awkward between them. She could already imagine how this vacation was going to go.

"I know you said he wasn't moving here until January, but surely he must have some type of vacation for the holidays. I'm sure he would love to come and spend time with the family. Afterall, we're going to be his famiy soon, too." Deb said.

"I just don't think he'll be able to." Haley said.

"Well, you never know until you ask. Come on, Haley, don't you want to spend Christmas and New Years with your fiance?" Deb prodded.

"Of course." Haley said quietly. "I'll ask him." She continued reluctantly.

"You should go do it now. That way we know and can make all of the final plans." Deb suggested in excitement.

"Okay." Haley said hesitantly before excusing herself out of the room to call Julian. She gave a sideways glance towards Nathan who was staring down at the table. She quickly rushed out of the room leaving just Dan, Deb, and Nathan sitting at the table. Dan shot his wife an annoyed glance while Nathan stayed mute.

"What is up with you two?" Deb asked looking between the both of them.

Dan looked over to Nathan and noticed his solemn facial expressions. He couldn't help but shake his head at his wife's cluelessness. As much as he wanted to be angry with his wife, he couldn't. She just didn't see that the relationship between their son and Haley wasn't just platonic anymore. He didn't understand how she didn't see it, but she didn't. She was just utterly and completely clueless. He turned his attention back towards her and tried to muster up a smile. "Nothing, honey. We're fine. Right, Nathan?" He asked turning back towards his son.

Nathan finally looked up and was met with his father's encouraging smile. "Yeah." He agreed quietly.

"You know, Nathan, maybe you can bring someone as well." Deb suggested coyly.

"Sorry, mom, but that's not going to happen." Nathan said.

"And when is it going to happen? I mean, you've never had a steady girlfriend. And you've never introduced us to any of the girls you have dated. Don't you want to settle down?" Deb asked.

"Of course, I do. It's just not the right time." Nathan said starting to feel uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading.

"I just think you haven't found the right girl yet, and yo..." Deb was interrupted as Dan let out a small laugh causing both she and Nathan to turn their attention towards him. "What's so funny?" She questioned.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of something that happened at work today. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt-continue." Dan dismissed as he shut his mouth and went right back to eating.

"Anyway, Nathan, there's somebody out there for everyone. You've just got to be willing and open to finding love, and she will come to you." Deb said.

As if on cue, Haley walked back into the dining room resuming her seat at the table next to Nathan.

"Well, is he coming?" Deb asked in excitement.

"Sorry, Deb, but he's too busy. He won't be able to make it." Haley answered and definitely caught the relieved look on both Dan's and Nathan's faces.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, at least we'll all be together for the holidays. It's going to be so much fun!" Deb exclaimed as Dan leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. And for the first time since the beginning of the night, the two of them made eye contact and sent one another a small smile.

**Okay, there it is. Like I said-a filler! Next chapter, things are finally going to start heating up between Nathan and Haley. There's going to be a few flashbacks. And there probably won't be any of the other characters besides Dan, Deb, Nathan, and Haley for the next one or two chapters. And I know things have been kind of repetative, but that's going to change. Nathan and Haley are finally going to start discussing everything soon.**

**There's a lot of stuff to cover while they're away on vacation, and I don't know if I'm going to break it down into two chapters or one long one. Personally, it makes no difference to me. I haven't outlined how I'm going to do it yet so I'm open to either way. If there's something you guys prefer-let me know. I know some people enjoy really long chapters while others don't. I'm one who likes them, but you guys are the readers. I can do either or.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. I hope I can get a chapter up for you soon. I've just been stressing out with not having a car at the moment, and I can't get home right away like I used to. I get home and get to bed. But I'm going to work really hard not to make you guys wait a whole week for another chapter. But, until then!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Thanks for your patience for the wait. Now, this is a really long chapter. I'm sorry if some of you guys don't like lengthy chapters but there was so much to cover. As I was writing, I was going to break it up into two but decided against it. I hope you enjoy it-especially the ending! Also, just in case you guys don't remember, Ian Banks (psycho Derek) is in this chapter, but don't worry he isn't psycho in this story! And also Carrie-I don't think any of us Naley fans have a hard time remembering her-is also in this chapter. Sorry, but I like to use actual characters from the show so you guys have a better visual of what they look like in my story.**

**Also, thanks again for your awesome reviews and story alerts. They always make my day! And to those reading but not reviewing, I hope you are still enjoying the story. Thank you all of you for taking the time to read and follow it. So, anyway, read and let me know what you think! I should warn you that I didn't really go through and proof-read this chapter so I apologize for any mistakes.**

Dan, Deb, Nathan, and Haley walked into the villa amazed. The villa had two levels to it completed with three bedrooms. The lower level consisted of the main room, the kitchen and dinette area, a utility room, and the master bedroom. The second level consisted of a small loft which opened to the main room below, and two bedrooms with a joined bathroom in between them. There was a deck connected to the lower level with a grill area and a hot tub. The villa was nothing short of spectacular. Everone dispersed to go unpack their clothes for their two week stay. It was December twenty-second with Christmas only three short days away.

Nathan and Haley obviously took the two bedrooms upstairs. After unpacking her clothes, Haley found herself wandering outside onto her balcony to take in the view. She felt the cool, crisp air hit her skin causing her to close her eyes. She was so used to the hot, sunny weather from Nevada and California. She loved that weather, but she also loved the snow. When she was fourteen, they went to spend Christmas with Deb's family who lived in New York. That was the first time she had ever seen snow, and she instantly fell in love. Snow made her think of Christmas which was her favorite holiday.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't is?" A voice said softly startling her a bit. She turned slightly and saw Nathan standing next to her.

"It's breathtaking." She breathed out while focusing back out in front of her. Their villa was pretty secluded in the mountains. The snow glistened off of the trees with ice sycles hanging from the branches. Even though the villa was pretty secluded, they were still in walking distance from the ski slopes and the ice skating rink.

Nathan turned and observed her face. Her eyes were soft but full of complete joy while her lips were curved upward in a small smile. She looked breathtaking, and he found it hard to tear his eyes away from her. She looked carefree and happy. It's been awhile since he's seen this look on her face, and he hated that he played a part in that. He was determined to make everything right between them. He couldn't shake this feeling that if he didn't do something soon, he would lose her for good. And he couldn't lose her. He has finally gotten her back after six years and nothing was going to come between them again. He would make sure of it. "I'm glad we came here." He said quietly.

"I am, too." She agreed as they both turned slightly towards one another. "Nathan, I know there's a lot going on between us right now. But can we put it all behind us for this vacation? I just want to have a fun, relaxing time and spend the holidays with the people I love most in this world." She said timidly.

"I was thinking the same thing. I mean, this place is too beautiful to taint it, right?" He softly joked causing her to laugh. "I hate fighting with you, Hales. And like you said, there's a lot going on between us, but we're going to be okay. I can't live without you in my life, and I'll do whatever it takes to make things right with us." He vowed sending her a small smile. She returned it before throwing her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist.

"So, when are we going skiing?" She asked as they pulled back from their embrace.

"Skiing? You want to go skiing?" He stated incredulously.

"Hell yes! We are at a ski resort." She said.

"Hales, you're terrible." He said causing her to scoff. "I'm sorry, but you are."

"Okay, for one thing, it wasn't my fault. The school ski trip was the first time I had ever been skiing. So, sue me for not knowing how to do it right away. And for another thing, I had an awful instructor." She said looking pointedly at him as it was his turn to scoff.

"I wasn't an awful instructor. You were an awful student who stomped off of the slopes in a huff after only your fourth time of falling. Patience is not a characteristic which you have. I tried to teach you, but you acted like a child. So, sue me for not wanting to relive that experience once again." He countered.

"Please, Nathan. I really want to learn how to ski." She pleaded.

"No." He said sternly as her lips broke into a pout. "You can give me that look all you want, but my answer is no. It's not going to happen." He said. He turned around and walked back into the villa getting out of the cold weather.

"You know, Nathan..." She began as she quickly followed him into the bedroom. "I remember everything about that trip. I remember how a certain person begged me to switch rooms with him. You see, I was rooming with Briana Jacobs-one of the few girls you hadn't slept with yet from our senior class. You begged me to switch rooms with you so you could finally seal the deal. And being the good friend that I am, I did it. And you remember who I got stuck with for two whole nights, don't you?" She continued as Nathan did everything in his power not to look into her eyes. "Tim Smith!" She said in a venamous tone.

"Oh, he wasn't that bad. You told me you actually had fun with him. And besides, I warned him what would happen if he laid a hand on you. And I know for a fact that he didn't even attempt to touch you. He knew not to do anything, because he knew I would have beaten the crap out of him." He countered.

"No, you're right. I just had to listen to his sexual innuendos all weekend and his stupid comments. I swear, I lost some very valuable brain cells because of him." She stated as he laughed. "It wasn't funny. I told you that you owed me, and you teaching me how to ski is going to make up for that awful weekend."

"You're serious, aren't you?" He questioned feeling himself relenting.

"Yes. Please, Nathan. It looks like so much fun, and I promise I will not lose my cool this time. I promise I will be the best student ever. Please!" She pleaded.

"Fine, but one time, Hales, and I'm done." He warned.

"Yah!" She exclaimed once again embracing him in a hug. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior. Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He said backing out of the embrace. "Now, let's go downstairs. I'm starving." He grabbed her hand and led her down to the kitchen where Dan was pouring himself a cup of coffee and Deb was standing by the stove.

"Are you two all settled in?" Dan asked. He couldn't help but notice their stiff, uncomfortable demeanors seemed to have disappeared. So far so good. He knew they had a long way to go, though.

"Yes, we are." Nathan answered.

"This place is amazing!" Haley gushed as they all nodded in agreement.

"So, I'm making us some dinner. You guys must be starving. I figured we could relax and get settled in tonight, and then tomorrow, we can go exploring or skiing or whaterver." Deb said as everyone nodded in agreement. "It's going to be a few minutes. Why don't you guys go watch some television or something. I'll call you when it's ready." She insisted.

Dan and Nathan grabbed some drinks and made a quick dash to the main room while Haley stayed behind to help with the food against Deb's protests. After a few passing minutes, Haley heard a couple very quiet sniffles coming from Deb. She immediately turned towards her and saw a tear glide down her cheek. "Deb, are you okay? What's wrong?" She asked concerned.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, sweetie. I'm just so glad we're all here together." Deb said choking up once again. Haley threw her arms around her shoulders and smiled.

"I'm glad, too. I love you, Deb." Haley said.

"I love you, too. We're going to have a wonderful time here. I can feel it." Deb said as the two women shared a smile.

* * *

><p>"Haley, it is not this difficult!" Nathan exclaimed feeling all of his calmness disapating from his body. They have been going at this for the last three hours, and he was slowly going insane. Haley had to be the worst student ever in terms of doing anything physical. It was clear why she was such a nerd in high school.<p>

"I'm trying, Nathan! But it doesn't help with you yelling at me the whole time!" She countered angrily.

"It's been three hours, and we're still right where we started! I know you're trying but not hard enough. You have like no coordination whatsoever." He exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I'm not the most athletic person. I've never been great at sports, and you know that. I just thought that you would actually be a decent teacher considering you know this about me. But I can't help but feel more nervous the more you yell at me. I'm sorry I'm not like you, okay. And clearly, this was a mistake. I'll just go find someone else who actually has the patience to want to teach me." She ranted before stalking off down the small bunny slope.

Nathan groaned as he watched her make her way down the slope. This day was turning into a complete nightmare, and the last thing he wanted was for Haley and him to be fighting. The first hour was actually pretty fun and entertaining. He basically just ran through all of the basics with her. However when it came time for her actually skiing-that was a whole other situation. But Haley was right. It wasn't her this time-it was him. He hasn't been patient with her, and he wasn't being a very good teacher.

Haley made her way into the ski lodge after putting her equipment away. She tiredly made her way up to the cafe counter and ordered herself a hot cup of cocoa. She settled herself at one of the tables. She rolled her eyes when she noticed him entering the lodge. He quickly spotted her and headed in her direction.

"I'm sorry." He apologized as he plopped himself into the seat across from her. He waited for her to say something but she just just sat there glaring at him. "I mean it, Hales. I'm really sorry. You were right. I haven't been very patient with you today and that wasn't fair." He continued sincerely.

Haley sat there staring at him. She knew he was being sincere, but she wasn't quite ready to let him off the hook that easily. So instead of giving in, she kept quiet. She knew there was nothing Nathan hated more than the silent treatment which she found completely ironic.

"Please talk to me, Hales." He pleaded after a couple of silent minutes passed by.

"You're a jerk." She finally spoke. The two looked at one another and started laughing.

"Yes, I am, and I'm sorry." He apologized once again.

"It's okay. I know it's not easy to teach someone who's as athletically challenged as I am." She said.

"You know, I don't think that's necessarily the problem. I think we just need to forget about the teaching and have fun. Let's forget about the wrong or right way to do it and just do it. You're going to fall. I'm going to fall. Let's just get onto one of the smaller slopes and just go for it." He suggested.

"Are you sure you want to? Nathan, I would understand if you don't. I really have no problem finding an instructor so you can go off and actually have a fun time." She said.

"No, I want to help you. I want to spend time with you, Hales. And I am having fun with you. And if anyone is going to teach you how to ski, it's going to be me. No one else-just me." He countered.

"Oh, so this is a pride thing." She joked.

"Yes, it is." He admitted as they laughed. "Okay, so here's the new plan. I'm going to go and order us something to eat, because I'm starving. And I'm sure you are, too. We're going to sit here, eat, and relax. And then, you and I are heading back out to that slope. And we are not leaving until you've at least made it down completely without falling. Sound like a plan?" He asked.

"If you're still willing, then yes, it sounds like a plan." She agreed.

It was around seven that evening that the two walked into their villa. After their talk in the lodge, the rest of the day was ten times better. They agreed to just have fun with it, and they did. After several failed attempts, Haley finally made it down the entire slope without falling. They went a couple more rounds where she felt the courage to attempt to go faster and by herself as Nathan waited for her down at the bottom. They weren't ready to be done but realized how late it was getting. The light was decreasing little by little as they decided to call it a day and head back.

"I guess your parents aren't back yet." Haley said as they walked throughout the villa.

"Yeah, they said they probably wouldn't be back till late tonight. Apparently, my dad knows the owners and are meeting for drinks or something." Nathan stated.

"Well, I have an idea. How about we go take some showers and get dressed. And then, I'll make us some dinner, and we can relax the rest of the evening." She suggested as he quickly agreed. The two made their way up the stairs to their respective bedrooms. Haley found some clothes and went down to take a shower in Dan and Deb's bathroom so Nathan could use theirs upstairs.

Half an hour later, Nathan walked down the stairs feeling completely refreshed. He walked into the kitchen and saw Haley standing by the stove. He stopped in the doorway and took in the sight of her. Going against his brain, he allowed his eyes to roam up and down her body. She was wearing a tiny pair of black shorts showing off her amazing, tanned legs. She was wearing a light pink cami with a black halfway zipped hoodie. He looked down to her feet which were covered in a pair of black and light pink fuzzy socks-matching the rest of her outfit perfectly. Her hair was still slightly wet up in a messy bun. This was the type of look he loved the most on her which may sound slightly odd and untrue. With this look, she was just Haley-carefree, happy-go-lucky, bookworm Haley. His naturally beautiful best friend with the girl next door personality. She didn't have to get all dolled up-not that that isn't a great look for her either, because it is-but she didn't need to. This was the look that represented her the most.

Deciding to make his presence known, he walked further into the kitchen in his grey sweatpants and white t-shirt. "How's everything coming along?" He asked.

"Wonderfully." She said smiling that gorgeous smile of hers up at him.

"Well, it smells wonderful. What are you making?" He asked.

"Spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread." She answered.

"Is there ch..."

"Of course, there's cheese on the garlic bread." She interrupted. "You think I would make your favorite meal and not put all of the right touches to it." She said raising an eyebrow at him.

"You know me too well." He said.

"Yes, I do." She agreed. "It shouldn't be too long. I have a bottle of wine chilling. I figured we could drink some unless you want something else. There's beer in there or just regular soda."

"Wine sounds perfect." He jumped in. "So, I have a surprise for you." He said smirking down at her.

"Oh! What is it?" She asked excitedly.

"I can't tell you, but I can show you. Do you think I can steal you away for just a couple minutes?" He asked coyly.

"Sure. Should I be nervous?" She asked as he grabbed her hand and began to pull her away with him.

"Nope, not at all. This is one surprise you are going to like." He promised as he led them into the main room. He stopped once they were standing right in front of the coffee table. She looked down as her eyes went wide. "What do you think?"  
>He asked proudly.<p>

"Oh my gosh, Nathan!" She exclaimed throwing her arms around him. "I can't believe you did this!"

They broke apart as she picked up all of the Christmas DVDs sitting on the table's surface. The pile consisted of all of her favorites-Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, Frost the Snowman, and so many more. When they were kids, she usually spend the holidays with the Scotts even before she moved in with them. The days before it was actually Christmas day, she and Nathan always watched these movies-well, any movie that was Christmas related. She tended to turn into what they dubbed her as "The Christmas Nazi". This time of year was her favorite holiday, and she could admit that she tended to go a little crazy.

Living in Nevada made it hard to truly get into the Christmas spirit sometimes. There wasn't snow and with all of the bright lights from Las Vegas, it was sometimes pointless to put up Christmas lights. But every year, Haley made them put up lights on the outside of the house and put up the most beautiful tree decorated to the nines. When she left for Stanford, she hardly ever came back home. Of course, Dan and Deb (mostly Dan) understood why she stayed in California, but they as well as she missed spending Christmas together as a family. Due to that, she has somewhat lost some of her Christmas spirit for the past six years. This was the year she was getting it back, though.

"Of course, Hales, this is our tradition. I wouldn't miss this for anything this year." He said as she smiled sweetly as him. "And I have another surprise. I was thinking that tomorrow you and I could go into town and bye a tree. There's a tree lot just a little on the outskirts of the resort. I talked to this guy who has a truck, and he's willing to come with us to get one. I figured we could wake up early, go into town, do some shopping, purchase a tree, and then come back here and decorate it. My parents are equally looking forward to it. So, does that sound like a plan?" He asked.

"Yeah, that sounds like an amazing plan." She answered.

Nathan couldn't help but smile at her. Her face was lit up like a kid in a candy store. Her eyes had a slight glisten in them as her lips were curved upward in a big, boisterous smile. He felt pride and happiness flow through his body, and he remembered how much he loved doing these types of things for her. He loved making her happy and watching her experience it even moreso.

Dan and Deb came bouncing into the villa hours later. They noticed that it was well passed four in the morning and found themselves completetly and utterly exhausted. They walked through the kitchen entry and noticed the dirty dishes on the counters. "Well, I guess they were pretty exhausted. The Haley I know would have never left this mess." Deb joked as they walked towards the main room as they stopped taking in the scene. "Aww, that is so precious." She said digging through her purse for her camera and quickly began snapping pictures.

Nathan and Haley were laying horizontally across the couch with her in front of him. Dan smiled at the sight. They were basically "spooning" one another as the young kids like to call it. Nathan had his arm draped protectively around her waist. They looked incredibly comfortable in a position that was completely right. This was what Dan wanted, but he wanted more. He wanted them to be together. Even though he considered Haley a daughter to him, he wanted her to be his daughter-in-law. He wanted to walk her down the aisle towards his son, and he wanted to watch them make a commitment to one another and pledge their love for one another. He didn't understand how two people can be so incredibly dense and stubborn and afraid. He just prayed that someday soon, they would finally get it and allow themselves to give in to what they both want and feel.

After putting her camera away, Deb grabbed the empty wine glasses and wine bottle before she and Dan quitly made their way back into the kitchen. They placed them into the sink and walked into their bedroom to go to bed. Tomorrow (technically today) was Christmas Eve meaning Christmas was basically just one day away.

* * *

><p>After a fun-filled day of final presents and tree shopping, the four of them found themselves congregated in the main room decorating their tree. Deb and Haley had baked some cookies and made some eggnog earlier. That along with the pine from the tree made the villa smell exactly like Christmas. They stood up and admired their finished project which was a sight to see. It was beautiful and the whole room lit up.<p>

"Okay, picture time!" Deb exclaimed as they all playfully rolled their eyes at her. Deb was similar to Haley when it came to the holidays, but hers was moreso of the family being all together. Dan and Deb were truly amazing people and amazing parents. They had the most loving marriage which was so inspiring. It was something both Nathan and Haley each dreamed of having one day.

Growing up, Haley always wished Dan and Deb were her parents. She loves her own mother, but she doesn't know her. All she knows of her is from pictures and stories. And even before things went bad with her father, he wasn't around. He never showed her kind of love or compassion. Spending the majority of her life with the Scotts, she used to pray that they would adopt her when she was a little girl. But as she got older, she realized she didn't want that-because of Nathan. She didn't know why, but the thought of legally or biologically being Nathan's sister was disturbing to her. They basically were brother and sister in a way, but not in actual reality. When high school came around, she was grateful she wasn't tied to him in that way. Subconsciously, she knew why that was, but she couldn't admit it out loud.

The four of them pulled out the camera and began snapping pictures after pictures. First, Haley took a picture of Dan and Deb standing in front of the tree followed by Deb doing the same with Nathan and Haley. There were a few of those along with Dan and Nathan, Deb and Haley, Deb and Nathan, Dan and Haley. And then, finally, Dan set a timer on the camera and snapped a picture of the four of them together.

"Haley, did you find a dress for the Christmas party tomorrow night?" Deb asked once they all got settled on the couch. Dan and Deb were curled up on one end of the couch while Nathan and Haley were cuddled on the loveseat placed on the other side of the room.

"Yes, I did. I hope it's okay." Haley answered timidly.

Apparently, every year the owners throw a big, extravaggent, elegant Christmas party for all of the guests staying at the resort. They thought of it as the perfect way for everyone to come together, mingle, and spend the holiday with one another. It wasn't mandatory, but usually all of the guests attended. Not knowing about the party until they arrived at the resort, none of them had the appropriate clothing for it. While shopping, Nathan rented himself a tux as Haley found and purchased a gown for herself. It was simple but gorgeous. It was black and flowed down to the ground with a black coating on the top layer. It was strapless with just a single strap connecting from the middle of her breasts curving just slightly around her left shoulder to the back of the dress. There wasn't any detail on it-it was just simple.

"I'm sure it's gorgeous." Dan spoke trying to calm her nerves.

"Thanks. And actually, Nathan was the one who picked it out." She revealed surprising both Dan and Deb.

"Really?" Deb questioned.

"Yes, really." Nathan confirmed. "But I can't confirm that it looks gorgeous on her, because Haley..." He began looking pointedly at the girl saddled into his side. "wouldn't let me see it on her. She gave me this bull about wanting to wait until tomorrow night to show anyone." He finished glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, but I want it to be a surprise. I really love this dress, and I wanted it to be perfect when I actually wore it for everyone. I wanted my hair and makeup done and have it completed with shoes and jewelry." Haley defended herself.

"I understand that one, sweetie." Deb said on Haley's behalf.

"Thank you, Deb." Haley said. "And besides, I'm not the only one who was being secretive today." She said as it was her turn to look pointedly towards Nathan. "Where did you run off to while I was in line paying for the dress after you told me to meet you in the lobby?" She questioned.

"Hey, I just had another present I had to purchase." He said.

"Which was what?" She asked.

"You have your secrets. I have mine. You'll just have to wait for tomorrow night." He said smirking down at her as she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Anyway, I'm kind of excited about this party." Haley said.

"It should be a lot of fun. And there are plenty of younger guests staying here as well who are close in age group with the two of you." Deb said obviously referring to Nathan and Haley. "You never know who you might meet, Nathan." She said slyly causing an uncomfortable shift within the room. Leave it to Deb to say the most inappropriate things.

"Mom, we've already discussed this." Nathan said sternly hinting for her to drop it.

"I know we have, honey, but you aren't getting any younger. You need to get out there and meet some lovely ladies if you want to get married and have kids some day. Of course, I am at least grateful I have one of my children moving forward in her life, right Haley?" Deb continued on.

"Umm...right." Haley agree half-heartedly. Nathan felt her tense next to him. Trying to make the both of them feel better, he ran his arm soothingly up and down her arm as he felt her body instantly relax once again.

"Oh, Deb, leave the poor boy alone. When he's ready, he'll get out there. Right, Nathan?" Dan jumped in coming to his son's defense.

"Exactly." Nathan answered sending a grateful nod in his father's direction which Dan reciprocated in understanding.

"Fine-case closed for now. Moving on, I think it might be best for us to all get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Here's the plan-we'll wake up, eat breakfast, open presents, do whatever for a few hours, and then head to the party. Sound good?" Deb questioned as they all nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's head off to bed."

The four of them stood up and said their goodnights. Dan and Deb headed towards their bedroom as Nathan led Haley up the stairs to their bedrooms. "Well, I guess, I'll see you in the morning." She said as they were standing outside of her door. She was just about to walk into the room when he grabbed her arm lightly stopping her.

"Wait, Hales." He said before looking at the watch on his wrist. A minute went by and he hasn't said a word as she watched him confused. "What, Nathan?" She asked not being able to stop herself any longer.

He stopped looking at his watch and looked up at her with a smile on his face. "It's midnight. Merry Christmas, Hales." He said causing her to instantly smile.

"Merry Christmas, Nathan." She repeated as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek before retreating to his own bedroom. She closed her eyes as she felt a little flutter in her stomach before shaking off those feelings and walking into her room.

* * *

><p>The morning quickly approached. The four had eaten breakfast and had just finished opening their presents. Dan and Nathan were cleaning up the mess in the kitchen as Deb and Haley came walking in showered and dressed for the day. "Okay, boys, we are going to head out." Deb announced.<p>

"Fine. You girls have fun getting your massages and getting your nails done and whatever else you have planned." Dan said giving his wife a chaste kiss. "I still can't believe the spa is open today." He said.

"I guess it's because of the party tonight. Apparently, they keep it open for all of us deserving women to come and get pampered so we can look our greatest." Deb smirked.

"Oh, listen to that-my wife's a comedian." Dan said.

"You ready, Haley?" Deb asked pulling out of her husband's embrace.

"Absolutely." Haley quickly answered.

"Have fun." Nathan said winking at her.

The two women grabbed their purses and left the villa leaving the two men alone. "So, what are your plans for today until we have to leave for the party?" Dan questioned.

"My plan is to kick my dad's ass in a little NBA Live." Nathan said with a cocky tone.

"Oh, you think so. I am the master." Dan countered as they immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed out of the kitchen.

A couple hours flew by and they were still playing their competative game against one another. The girls were still gone but due back any minute. It was approaching five o'clock, and the party was to start at seven. They both knew the girls would want a lot of time to get ready so they could look their best. "Ha! Eat that, dad!" Nathan exclaimed as his character dunked on him.

"Yeah, yeah-you got me with that shot, but it's far from over." Dan taunted. "So, you and Haley seem to be getting along." He said after a few minutes.

"Yeah, we've made a pact for this vacation not to fight. It's been really great and such a relief to not be fighting with her." Nathan said.

"It probably helps without having Julian here." Dan said catching his son off gaurd slightly.

"Oh, umm...no, I..." Nathan stammered not knowing exactly how to respond to that.

"I know I'm glad that it's just the four of us." Dan spoke up.

"You are?" Nathan questioned surprised.

"Yeah. I mean, it's nothing personal against Julian. I just, this is our family. And yes, he will be a part of it soon, but he's not yet. It's nice to have a family vacation with just the four of us again. And maybe next year, Julian can spend it with us. But this year is ours." Dan said.

"Yeah, it is." Nathan agreed as the two shared a look of understanding just as the girls came bouncing into the villa and into the main room.

"Well, don't you girls look fresh and relaxed." Dan commented.

"It was amazing." Deb gushed.

"Yes, it was. I could definitely get used to that." Haley agreed.

"We are going to go get ready. You boys should do the same. The limo is going to be here at a quarter till seven to transport us to the banquet hall. I want us all down here at that time-not a second later. You understand?" Deb asked sternly as they all nodded.

Haley sat on her bed in only a towel with her slightly wet hair dangling down her back. She punched in some numbers and held the phone up against her ears while waiting through some rings.

_It's Julian Baker. Leave me a message._

"Hey, Julian, it's me. I know you're probably busy studying, but I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. We're getting ready to head to a party shortly. I just wanted to let you know just in case you tried calling later and I didn't answer. I miss you, Julian, and I wish I could be with you. Anyway, maybe we'll be able to talk tomorrow or something. Merry Christmas."

Haley sighed before hanging up her phone and tossing it onto her bed. She stood up and focused on getting dressed for the evening. It didn't take her too long. Half an hour later, she was dressed in her dress and shoes. Her makeup was done in a smokey, but elegant way. Her hair was cascading down her back and shoulders with a slight curl to it. Just then, there was a knock at her door as she yelled to come on in.

Nathan opened the door as his mouth dropped slightly at the sight of her. He felt like he was in some sort of trance and couldn't move. She was breathtaking. Finally, snapping out of it, he made his way further into her bedroom and closer to her.

"How do I look?" She asked timidly.

"You look absolutely stunning, Hales. It was definitely worth the wait." He said sincerely.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. Armani-very nice." She said reaching out and brushing her hands up against his tux covered chest. "You've always been handsome, though." She continued staring up into his eyes.

"Are you about ready?" He asked breaking them out of their trance.

"Yes, I just have to find some jewelry." She said as she began to walk away.

"Wait, Hales." He said haulting her movements. "I have something for you." He said as she turned back around towards him. She smiled slightly when he held out a present to her. "What's this?" She asked quietly.

"This is your other present." He answered giving it to her.

She opened it and was surprised to see two pairs of earrings-a pair of regular diamonds and a pair of black diamonds. They both appeared to be about one carot. "Nathan, these are beautiful." She said quietly.

"I had to wait until I saw your dress to pick them out." He said.

"So, this is where you went yesterday?" She questioned amused.

"Guilty." He admitted. "But that's not all." He continued reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out another present and handing it to her.

"Nathan, no. This is already too much." She refused pushing the present away from her.

"It's already done, Hales. It's already purchased, and it's non-returnable. So either you accept it or cost me some money." He said forcing her to accept the gift. She sighed before ripping it open to find a ring box. She carefully opened it to reveal a ring with one solid black diamond in the center with four small diamonds on each side. Two on top and two on bottom creating a cube shape out of the diamonds. The ring matched perfectly with the earring as well as her dress. "Nathan, this is beautiful." She said looking up at him.

"I know how much you love black diamonds, and I saw these and new they were perfect for tonight. I knew they were perfect for you." He said.

She smiled before pulling the ring out of the box and moving to put it on her fingers. Instinctively, she went to put it onto her left hand before realizing her engagement ring was already there. She stopped and stared at her hand for a moment when she felt Nathan taking the ring he bought her out of her hands and grabbing onto her right hand. He gently slid the ring onto her middle finger. "Your left hand may belong to him, but your right hand belongs to me." He said quietly as they stared at one another.

Nathan watched as a hair fell over her face, and he reached up to brush it away. He watched as she closed her eyes and felt her shiver slightly from his touch. It was only a couple seconds later when she opened them and once again found his eyes. They didn't know how long they stood there or what exactly was happening, but they couldn't help but begin to lean in slowly.

"You two better be down here in two minutes!" Deb shouted causing them to spring apart quickly.

"We, umm...we should get down there." Haley stammered and completely flustered as she struggled to put in the earrings he bought her.

"Yeah, we should. Are you all set now?" Nathan asked just as flustered as she was. She nodded to answered him. "Okay, let's go." He said stepping aside to allow her to walk out of the room before him. He followed behind her while flipping off the light and shutting the door behind them.

The party was going very smoothly. They have been there for a couple of hours now meeting a lot of new and different people. It seemed as if all of the guests did in fact show up. There kids just as well as adults. Dan and Deb took off in one direction after the first hour while Nathan and Haley stuck together mingling with some other guests. The first hour was kind of awkward for the both of them, but now, they were pretty much back to normal. They each decided to overlook what happened back at the villa as being an "in the moment" type of thing. It was best for them both to dismiss whatever else it could have meant and move on from it.

"Oh, there you two are!" Deb exclaimed as she and Dan found them. "There are some people we'd like you to meet." She said as a few other people appeared in front of them. "This is Mark and Amanda Banks and their two children Ian and Carrie. And this is our son, Nathan. And this is practically our daughter, Haley James." Deb introduced as the six of them politely greeted one another.

"That's a beautiful engagement ring, Haley." Amanda commented while shaking her hand.

"Oh, thank you." Haley said.

"So, I'm assuming that you and Nathan are getting married." Amanda said and failed to see the uncomfortable look that appeared on Dan, Nathan, and Haley's faces.

"Act..."

Deb cut Haley off, "Oh, no. Haley is engaged to another man, but he unfortunately couldn't come with us on this vacation. Nathan and Haley grew up together, and she lived with us most of her life. So, she's family to us." She said sending a wink in Haley's direction.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Amanda apologized.

"No need to apologize. Many people jump to that conclusion." Dan jumped smirking towards Nathan and Haley.

"Well, you four stay here and get to know one another. We're going to go mingle some more." Deb said as the four adults took off in the opposite direction leaving the "kids" all alone.

"So, she's taken. What about you?" Carrie purred looking at Nathan up and down seductively.

Haley wanted to puke at how obvious and blatant this girl was being. It was like dealing with Rachel all over again. She took a moment to observe her and noticed she was wearing a skin tight navy blue dress which looked like it was painted on her body. It had thin straps, a plunging neckline, and stopped mid-thigh. Haley wanted to ask her what the heck she was doing. This was a very elegant party, and she showed up wearing something like that. Talk about tacky. She rolled her eyes before turning towards Nathan. Something in the pit of her stomach dropped slightly when she noticed he seemed to be playing up to her. He looked like he was definitely welcoming her obvious and blatant advances as he didn't hesitate in checking the girl out.

"You look beautiful, Haley." A voice said causing her to shake out of her thoughts. She turned and noticed Ian in front of her talking.

"I'm sorry, what?" She questioned not hearing what he said.

"I said you look beautiful." He repeated.

"Oh, I umm..."

"Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. I mean, I definitely would but I don't go for girls who belong to other guys. I'm not that type of guy." He said.

"That's good to know." She said as the two of them laughed. Already, she really liked Ian. He seemed sweet and charming and flirty yet knowing his boundaries at the same time.

"So, your fiance couldn't make it. I'm sorry to hear that." He said sincerely.

"No. He's stuck in California finishing his final semester. He has lots of studying to do." She said.

"Studying? He passed up spending the holidays with his hot fiance for studying." He said incredulously while joking at the same time.

"I know, right. What the heck was he thinking?" She joked with him. "What is that you do?" She asked changing the subject.

"Oh, now there's an exciting question. Are you ready?" He asked as she nodded. "Brace yourself. I am an insurance agent." He revealed in mock excitement.

"Really? Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like an insurance agent." She said.

"No offense taken. I get that all the time-especially when I revealed to my parents what I was planning on doing for the rest of my life." He said as they both laughed. "So, what about you?"

"I am a special events coordinator at a resort and casino in Las Vegas. Dan's resort and casino, actually." She answered.

"Wow! That sounds much more fascinating than my job." He said.

Ian and Haley talked a few more minutes longer while Nathan and Carrie continued to flirt with one another before the four of them came together in conversation once more. "How long are guys going to be here?" Ian asked.

"We leave on the second of January, don't we?" Haley answered questioningly.

"Yup." Nathan confirmed.

"So, you're going to be here for New Years, then?" Carrie said as Nathan and Haley nodded.

"That's great. There's a party for the younger crowd on New Years Eve. You guys should definitely come if you don't have any other plans." Ian suggested.

"You should definitely come. It would be the perfect way to bring in the New Year." Carrie purred to Nathan.

"I think that sounds like a plan." He agreed smirking at her causing Haley to yet again resist the urge to throw up. She looked to Ian who appeared to have the same look of disgust towards his sister that she was wearing.

* * *

><p>A few days passed with very little excitement between them. The day after the party, the four of them slept the majority of the day not waking up until late in the afternoon. They didn't return home from the party until about three in the morning and found themselves incredibly exhausted. They agreed to make that day their "lazy" day. They could stay in bed and sleep all day or whatever they wanted and would receive no judgement or pesturing from anyone. They laughed when they all ended up walking into the kitchen for something to eat close to five that evening. The next couple of days, they just lounged around the villa watching movies and simply talking. It was just the four of them together-just like they all had wanted.<p>

New Years Eve was three days away. Dan and Deb had left to do some shopping with some of the other guests they met at the party. They left a note for them that they probably wouldn't be making it back to the villa until late that night. Nathan walked straight into the kitchen immediately grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. It didn't take long before he heard her soft footsteps entering into the room. "Hey." She greeted tiredly.

He looked over to her and held in a groan that was threatening to fall from his lips. Yet again-third day in a row-she was wearing a tiny pair of black and teal plaid shorts with a black cami. This time, unlike the others, she wasn't wearing a sweatshirt or anything over the cami. Was it really hard to throw on some clothes in the morning before coming out of her room? He wanted to ask her that very question but realized that probably wouldn't go over too well. But he hated what she was doing to him right at this moment. He didn't understand it. It's not like she's wearing anything overly sexy or revealing. She was wearing her pajamas for goodness sake. She had no makeup on, and her hair was thrown up in an messy bun. She literally looked like she had just climbed out of bed. She was hardly screaming sex. But at the same time, he couldn't help but find her looking extremely sexy in this moment. He wanted to run his hands up her tan, slender legs up to her brea...He silently reprimended himself for having such thoughts and quickly pushed them to the back of his mind.

"Do you want some breakfast?" She asked walking further into the kitchen completely unaware of the thoughts invading his mind.

"It's after noon, Hales." He informed her with a slight chuckle.

"So? What's your point? I still want breakfast." She countered rummaging through the fridge. "I'm thinking some eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast sound really good and fulfilling right about now." She announced while pulling all of the needed supplies and food and placing them on the counter near the stove. "Do you want some?" She asked looking up to him.

"I suppose I could eat that. I'll even help you." He offered going to stand next to her.

The two spent the next few minutes preparing their breakfast in a comfortable silence before Haley finally broke it. "So, that Carrie girl was very interested in you." She could feel the tension radiating off of Nathan's body. "You seemed pretty interested in her as well. I'm guessing you're pretty excited about seeing her again on New Years." She continued carefully.

"Yeah, whatever." He dismissed.

"Well, don't sound too excited there, Nate." She laughed.

"No, I am. It's just..." He trailed off not sure whether or not he should finish.

"It's just what?" She prodded.

"She called me last night, and we're going to be getting together before New Years. I'm taking her out in a couple nights, actually." He revealed apprehensively.

"Oh...that, umm...that's great." She stammered trying to sound as positive as she could.

"Yeah, she's a really nice girl. She's very outgoing and..."

"And she's very hot." She finished for him.

"Yeah, I guess, she is." He agreed feeling an even more uncomfortable turn in their conversation.

"You don't have to be shy about this, Nathan. She's obviously a very attractive girl. I don't get why we can't talk about things like this. I mean, we've always been able to in the past. Why not now?" She continued.

"Things are different now, Haley." He said quietly-so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

"Why?" She asked. Of course, she wasn't dense. Obviously, things were different between them, but she wanted to be able to talk to him and figure out why that is. She wanted them to finally discuss everything-everything from the past and everything happening in their present.

"Hales, I just...it's awkward to talk to you about this kind of stuff." He said.

"Again, why? Nathan, sooner or later, you're going to meet someone. You're going to get married. And you're going to have kids. And guess what, I already am at that point in my life except for the kids part. I have met someone. And I am getting married." She began.

"Stop it, Haley!" He exclaimed catching them both off gaurd. "Look, I don't want to hear any of this, okay?" He said more calmly.

"Nathan, this isn't fair. I'm tired of walking on egg shells around you anytime I mention Julian or getting married. I should be able to talk about him without worrying about how it's going to affect you or our relationship. It's not fair." She said as her eyes filled up with tears.

Nathan watched her and listened to her and instantly felt guilty. She was absolutely right. She should be able to talk about her fiance and about her wedding. It wasn't fair to her, but he didn't know what else to do. He didn't want to talk about Julian. He didn't want to think about Julian. Anytime there is a reminder of her getting married, a sharp pain goes through his body. It hurts, and at this point, he can't see passed his own pain to care about hers.

"I just...I want my best friend back. I want you to be the boy I told all of my deepest, darkest secrets to. I want you to be that eleven year old who saved my life. I want you to be the hero that I've always seen in you. I want you to confide in me. I want you to listen as I confide in you. And I just want you in my life." She cried as the tears were now streaming down her face.

"I love you, Hales. And I don't want you to ever feel like you can't come to me." He declared.

"But I do, Nathan. I do feel that way. I feel like I'm losing you, and I don't want to lose you." She said with her voice weak.

Nathan was quick to pull her into his arms as she cried lightly into his shirt clad chest. He closed his eyes begging himself to not shed a tear. "You won't lose me, Hales. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise, Haley. I will always be here for you." He promised.

All of a sudden, the smoke detector went off as the two quickly sprung apart and noticed the cloud of dark smark hanging around them. Being so into their conversation, they never even noticed the burning smell which impermeated the kitchen. They were both quick to turn off the stove and fix the mess. Nathan found the smoke detector and turned it off before rushing back over to Haley. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" She asked.

"Yeah." He answered as the two became silent.

They looked at one another and burst out laughing. He pulled her into his arms as they continued to laugh. "Well, aren't we just a couple of screw ups." He said through his laughter.

"That's for sure." She agreed.

The two calmed down as the laughter subsided. "I'm sorry, Haley." He said sincerely.

"I know. We're going to be okay." She said.

"Yeah, we are." He agreed even though, deep down, they both knew they were far from okay. And like they always do, they pushed aside their actual feelings and just pretended everything was fine. "So, what are our plans for today?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said as they broke apart.

"Oh, I know that look. There's something you had in mind, isn't there?" He questioned.

"Well, I want some food since we burnt our first batch." She said as they both laughed again.

"Okay, but what else?" He asked. He waited impatiently while she was hesitating on whether or not to tell him. "Haley?" He prodded.

"Fine. I kind of want to go ice skating." She revealed.

"Oh." He responded lamely. He wasn't expecting that to come out of her mouth. "I don't know, Hales."

"Come on, Nathan. Please, I'll teach you." She begged.

"I know how to ice skate." He scoffed.

"Right...no you don't, Nathan. That's why you're so hesitant about going. I don't get it-you can glide full force down a huge mountain covered in snow and ice, but you can't glide on an even sheet of ice." She countered laughing as she shot her a look of annoyance. "Please, Nathan. We'll have so much fun." She pleaded.

"Fine." He relented.

Two hours later, Nathan and Haley found themselves at the ice skating rink. They had taken showers and dressed before heading into town to grab something to eat. Once they were done eating, they headed towards the rink. They put on their skates and were now walking towards the ice. Haley immediately stepped onto the ice and watched as Nathan hesitated slightly. "Are you coming, Nathan?" She smirked.

"Yes, just give me a minute." He said in irritation.

She continued to watch him in complete fascination as he cautiously stepped onto the ice. With both skates on the ice, he tried to stand and wobbled slightly in the process. She couldn't stop the laugh that fell from her mouth causing him to send a glare her way. She walked closer to him and placed her hands on his arms in an attempt to help steady him. "I'm glad you find this so ammusing." He bit out.

"Sorry, but I do. For once, you're the clumsy, athletically challenged one. I am very happy that I get to hold this over your head." She admitted with an evil grin. "Come on, I'll help you." She continued taking ahold of his hands and leading him further out onto the ice.

The two took a couple slow, but steady laps around the rink. Nathan seemed to be getting better but still would not let go of her hands. The rink was pretty deserted with only a few other people there. It was nice to not have a crowd around them or distracting them. He certainly didn't want to have people around to watch him make a complete fool out of himself.

"There-you're getting the hang of it." Haley encouraged.

"I am, aren't I?" He said smugly as she rolled her eyes.

"You better be careful. Things usually take a turn for the worst when you become overly cocky." She warned.

"Whatever. I'm just about amazing at everything I d..." His sentence was put to a hault when he tripped on his skate and began to wobble. Haley immediately went closer to him to help, but it did no good. Without realizing it, he grabbed her waist for leverage and they both went tumbling to the ground. "Shit that hurt!" He exclaimed.

"Ouch." She yelped in pain.

"Oh, gosh, are you okay? I'm so sorry, Hales." He apologized. He knew she had to be in actual pain. They fell hard against the ice, and he landed hard on top of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said softly as she held her head and had her eyes closed.

"You're not fine. I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to bring you down with me." He said as she let out a small chuckle.

"Honestly, Nathan, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." She tried to reassure him. She could tell he felt really bad. "Umm...do you think maybe you could get off of me, though, and help me up?" She questioned.

"Oh, umm...yeah, sorry." He stammered not even realizing that he was still laying on top of her. He pulled back and tried to steady himself before reaching down and carefully pulling Haley up with him. It was definitely a good thing that she was good at ice skating and knew how to balance herself well-at least on the ice.

"So, I'm guessing that's it for ice skating." She said sort of defeated.

"No, Hales. I'm not going to bail after I fall down once. I'm not you." He joked as she narrowed her eyes towards him.

"That was mean." She declared.

"But true." He added.

"Fine...but true." She relented in agreement.

The two continued for a couple more hours, and just like Haley with skiing, Nathan began to get the concept. It didn't take too long before he could ice skate without holding onto her. Slowly, everyone else began to leave the rink. They realized that they were the only ones left in the arena and decided to call it a night. It was getting pretty dark outside. They grabbed themselves a bite to eat in town before heading back into the villa. After some showers, they dressed and once again got started on what was quickly becoming their nightly ritual. They grabbed a couple blankets and cuddled up together on the couch and popped in a movie.

* * *

><p>The next night, Deb and Haley made their way into their villa. They spent the entire day shopping and at the spa once again. They found Dan and Nathan watching a football game on the television in the main room. "How was your day?" Dan asked.<p>

"Wonderful!" Deb exclaimed. "And what did you boys do while we were gone?" She questioned.

"Oh, Deb, I can answer this one." Haley jumped in. "They sat around the house all day watching sports and playing some video games. Am I right?" She smirked at them.

"That's not true." Nathan retaliated. Both Deb and Haley shot him a disbelieving look and narrowed their eyes at him and Dan. "Okay, fine, that is definitely true." He relented.

"Honey, we better go get ready for dinner." Deb said to Dan.

"Another dinner? Geez, you two sure are making yourselves busy this vacation." Nathan commented. Dan and Deb smiled at both Nathan and Haley before rushing towards their bedroom to get ready. "So, what are we doing tonight?" He asked Haley once they were alone.

"I don't know about you, but I am getting in that very lonely hot tub. Can you believe I haven't been in it once during this entire trip? Absolutely ridiculous! I'm actually ashamed of myself." She said as he chuckled at her.

"Want some company?" He asked.

"Sure. I'm just going to go get changed." She announced before disappearing from the room.

Half an hour later, Nathan was sitting in the hot tub waiting for Haley to come down. His parents had left a few minutes prior, and he couldn't help but wonder what was taking Haley so long. He had a bottle of wine and a couple of glassed and just sat there waiting. This was what he wanted and needed-just a relaxing, carefree night with his best friend. To be completely honest, he was sort of regretting asking Carrie to have dinner with him the following night. When he asked her, it was sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing. She was definitely attractive, but he wasn't attracted to her if that made any sense at all. When he asked her, he was thinking about Haley and Julian. And to block any thoughts he had out of his mind, he asked her out. And now he was stuck taking her out. Sure, he could call and cancel, but he felt bad. He decided to suck it up for one night for a couple of hours and try to show her a good time.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door leading out to the deck sliding open. He noticed Haley walking out onto the deck in her robe with her hair tossed up in a messy bun. "Hey, I was wondering when you were going to finally grace me with your presense." He joked.

"Sorry. Julian called me while I was getting dressed. I've only talked to him once since we've been here." She said.

Nathan felt his defenses kicking in, but he pushed them aside. He was trying really hard to be better about this. He didn't want to hurt Haley anymore, and he didn't want her to feel like she couldn't talk to him. "That's good. Well, I have some wine. And the water is nice and hot so get in." He said.

She smiled at him before moving to untie her robe. He couldn't help but stare at her as she dropped the robe from her body. He also couldn't stop his eyes from moving up and down the length of her body. If he thought her pajamas were bad, he just got hit with a pretty big rude awakening. She had an emerald green bikini on. The top wasn't too revealing but also didn't cover her completely. There was a rectangular diamond like jewel connecting the fabric in the middle of her breasts. The bottoms were just a simple string bikini style. The dark color went nicely with her golden tan. In that very moment, he decided that his best friend probably had the best body he's ever seen.

Trying his hardest to shake away those thoughts, he watched as she climbed into the hot tub and plopped down next to him. "Gosh, this is so relaxing." She breathed out. She finally looked up to him and felt her face blush slightly as she caught him staring at her. She had to admit to herself how good that made her feel. She's never been one of those girls who truly cared about her image, but she would be lying if she said she didn't always hope for Nathan to finally notice her in that way. He never looked at her that way in high school-not once. Except for the night before he left for the marines. But she concluded that was just becuase of what happened between them that night. It's not like he had any true feelings for her aside from friendship.

"So, are you excited for the New Years Eve party?" He asked.

"I am, actually. I think it's going to be a lot of fun." She answered.

"Do you remember the first time I took you to a party with me in high school?" He asked with a small laugh as she let out a groan.

"God, why did you have to remind me of that?" She said.

"Junior year-I finally convinced you after three years of trying. You complained the whole ride over there. I was so tempted to make a u-turn and drive you right back home." He said.

"You should have. That was such an awful night." She said.

"It wasn't that bad." He said.

"Not that bad? Okay, first of all, I walk through the door and immediately tripped on the ledge and fell flat on my face." She began.

"Well, it certainly was an entrance." He joked.

"And secondly, I got a total of five-yes, I remember and counted-five drinks spilled on me. I was wet and sticky and smelled like a damn brewery. It was horrible. Not to mention the cigarette and probably some other smoke smells that seemed to be my perfume for the night. It actually made me sick. And then, that cocky asshole, Damien West, tried to grope me the entire night which caused the two of you to get into an actual physical fight. If that wasn't bad enough, the cops showed up and arrested the both of you while I had the pleasure of calling your parents. I had so much fun saying, _'Hey Dan and Deb, you're going to need to come down to the police station with some money to bail your idiot son out of jail. Thanks. I'll see you when you guys get here.'_ Yeah, that night was a blast-especially when we had that wonderful little talk with your parents when we got home." She bit out sarcastically.

"Okay, so it wasn't the greatest introduction into the party world, but it certainly was memorable. And that jackass had it coming. He deserved every punch I threw his way. And by the way, I totally kicked his ass..." He said smugly as she rolled her eyes. "I don't have any regrets about how that night ended." He finished.

"Yeah, and I didn't attend another party with you until the end of our senior year. That night scarred me for quite awhile. I made a vow to never face that kind of humiliation ever again." She countered.

"I can admit that that party was a little out of control. And for that, I'm sorry." He said sincerely.

"Well, it's about time you apologized to me for that particular evening." She smirked as they laughed and continued to reminesce about their past. They didn't talk about anything that happened in their lives after high school. They stuck to the happier memories and finally began feeling their friendship restoring to what it used to be.

* * *

><p>New Years Eve had arrived. Dan and Deb went to their own party for all of the adults while Nathan and Haley were at a party for the younger group. They were having a blast. They were meeting a lot of new people and didn't want the night to end. It was just slightly after eleven o'clock with midnight quickly approaching.<p>

Spending the first few hours together, Nathan and Haley were now separated. Haley was actually talking with Ian while Nathan was off to who knows where. Probably with Carrie. She thought. The previous night was when Nathan took Carrie out on a date. They haven't talked about it yet. They didn't talk about it before he left, and she made sure she was hauled up in her bedroom when he returned home. She was curious but nervous at the same time. She didn't want to know what happened, but she did. Did they have a nice time? Did they kiss? Did they do anything more than kissing? And the worst one-does he like her and want to take her out again? She wanted to ask him all of these things but couldn't. She actually began wondering if this is how Nathan feels about her and Julian.

On the flip side, she was having an amazing time. And she was definitely thankful for her engagement ring. There were a ton of single guys at the party who were not shy about hitting on her or blatantly checking her out. She simply just flashed her engagement ring and ninety percent of them took the hint. Luckily, either Nathan or Ian helped her out with the few who didn't seem to take the hint or just simply didn't give a damn.

To be completely honest, though, it did make her feel pretty good about herself. She had a heck of a time trying to figure out what to wear tonight. That was until Deb walked into her bedroom with a present that had arrived for her earlier that day from Brooke. There was a card on the outside which read...

_Here is my late Christmas present for you, Hales. I knew you loved it when I showed you my design. So I purchased some fabric and put it together for you. I guessed on your size, and I'm really hoping it fits you. Maybe you can wear it for that party you and Nathan are going to. We're all going out to a nightclub here, and we wish you guys were with us. But I'm sure you're having an amazing time. So...Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! We miss you terribly!_

_Love ya girly,_  
><em>Brooke<em>

Haley remembered feeling blown away when she opened the box and saw the dress she fell in love with. It was a black dress with spaghetti straps and stopped at her mid-thigh. There was a bright fushia pink piece of fabric that laid horizontally under her breasts. Thankfully, the dress fit her perfectly, and she took the time to commend Brooke on her very accurate guess. Brooke had even sent her a pair of bright fushia pink heels to complete her outfit. All Haley had to do was add some accessories and do her hair and makeup. She didn't do much in terms of jewelry-she basically just wore the earrings and ring that Nathan gave her. She left her hair down with a slight curl, because Nathan off-handedly mentioned that was his favorite hairstyle on her. Deciding to be a little daring-instead of her normal natual look, she opted for the more smokey look completed with a darker eye shadow and eye liner. She was nervous, but with one look from Nathan, she knew it was more than okay.

So, here Haley stood with just a couple minutes before midnight. She knew he was probably having a good time with Carrie, but she really wanted to bring in the New Year with Nathan. She surveyed the crowd for any sign of him but saw none. Just as she was about to give up, he appeared out of nowhere in front of her. "Hey!" She exclaimed. "Where have you been? I was looking for you." She continued.

"I need your help." He said in complete seriousness.

"What's wrong?" She questioned concerned.

"We have a code red on our hands." He announced.

"Uh oh-stalker?" She asked cringing slightly.

"Yeah. I swear that Carrie chick has definitely stalker potential. She will not leave me alone and keeps talking about how perfect we are for one another. She says it must be a sign that we've found each other." He quivered.

"It sounds like the date went well, then." She said laughing.

"Not really-at least not on my end. It was boring, and she's very superficial and conceited. I didn't even kiss her goodnight but that didn't stop her from planting one on me. It was awful, Hales." He said.

"Okay, so what do you need my help with?" She asked.

"Don't leave me alone with her. Please!" He pleaded.

Through her laughter, she actually felt bad for him. It was almost as if he was scared of this girl. This girl who probably weighed a hundred pounds. It was quite comical as she thought about it. Nathan used to deal with girls like this on a daily basis back in high school, and she really didn't have to mention the whole Rachel debacle. All of a sudden, her thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched squeel. She looked into Nathan's horrified eyes as Carrie latched herself onto his arm.

"There you are, Natey!" She purred seductively and drunkenly.

Nathan and Haley both cringed at her pet name for him. In that moment, Haley completely understood Nathan's dilema and tried to hatch up a plan to help him out.

"Hi, Haley! Don't you look pretty tonight. Of course, not as pretty as me, right, Natey." Carrie said as Nathan and Haley shared a look of annoyance and disgust.

Just then, it was announced that there was one minute till midnight. Nathan shot Haley a look of panic mouthing for her help. Haley realized that Carrie was probably too drunk to be aware of the countdown happening. "Carrie, would you mind if I steal Natey for just a moment. I just have to ask him a quick question. I promise I'll bring him right back to you." She asked sweetly.

"I suppose, but don't keep him too long. He's my Natey, and I don't want you calling him that either. It's something special between just me and him." Carrie said with her eyes glazed over.

"Fair enough. Natey is all yours. It'll be just a sec." Haley said reaching over and grabbing Nathan's hands while pulling him away with her. They found a safe distance away from her.

"Thank you so much, Hales." He said in great appreciation.

"You're welcome. How do you get yourself in these situations, Nathan?" She laughed.

"I don't know. I swear I'm a stalker magnet." He said laughing right along with her. Just then the countdown began. "Well, at least I get to bring in the New Year with my best friend." He said.

"That's all I wanted for the night." She said as they shared a sweet smile.

Nathan looked over her shoulder and noticed Carrie making her way towards them and panic began to set in. He looked back towards Haley hastily. He took a second to contemplate what he was doing as he moved his eyes back and forth between her and Carrie. Without a second thought he turned to Haley. "I need your help." And before she could even formulate any type of response, his mouth was on hers just as everyone yelled 'Happy New Years.'

Haley could hardly breathe once his lips connected with hers. It was like she was paralyzed. She felt his lips moving ever so slightly over hers while hers remained frozen. She began to feel that flutter in her stomach as she instantly thought back to the last time they were together like this. His lips were soft and warm against hers. She felt herself relaxing under his touch, but when his hands landed on her waist, that was when she gave in completely.

Nathan didn't know what was happening. One minute he was needing her help, and the next he was kissing her. It was so wrong but felt so right-an amazing. His mind instantly drifted back to the last time he kissed her like this. He felt her body relaxing just slightly. Placing his hands on her waist, he finally felt her letting go completely. He didn't waste another second before running his tongue along her bottom lip begging for entrance which she instantly granted.

Haley felt a million different sensations passing through her body. How can something so wrong feel so right? She didn't understand it, and right now, she didn't want to understand it. She quickly opened her mouth to him when she felt his tongue running along her bottom lip. Without any hesitation, their tongues collided and battled for dominance. She moaned into his mouth when she felt him grip her waist tighter and pull her roughly against his body. She gasped slightly as she came into contact with his arousal and felt a certain sense of pride run through her body which caused her to wrap her arms around his neck while placing her right hand on his cheek. Their heads slanted slightly to provide greater access for one another.

There was nothing simple and friendly about this kiss. It was passionate as they let out all of their emotions into it. It was demanding and raw and rough but at the same time gentle and caring. For as urgent as it was, they took their time exploring one another.

Minutes passed before the need for air became too great. They reluctantly broke apart and pressed their foreheads against one another. Their eyes stayed snapped shut as they tried to control their heavy breathing. After their bodies seemed to calm down just slightly, they finally opened their eyes and stared at one another. No words were spoken but so many emotions were displayed.

Finally realizing what had just happened, Haley jumped back quickly. She placed her fingertips up against her mouth. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed quietly.

"Hales, I..."

"I have to go." She rushed out and bolted out of the party without taking a single look back. She heard him calling her name, but she kept running. She had to get out of there. She had to get away from him. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She couldn't think straight with so many emotions passing through her mind. All she knew was that she had to get back to the villa. At that thought, she ran faster despite the crazy high heels that were currently on her feet. She was running so fast, she thought she would trip and fall at any moment. But she didn't care. She just needed to get away.

**There you go-you made it to the end! LOL! Anyway, the next chapters probably won't be quite as long as this one was. They will be back in Las Vegas in the next chapter. And not to disappoint you guys, but January has arrived which means Julian will be making a bigger appearance within the story. But that just might bring upon a jealous Nathan which is never a bad thing! And a couple characters will be showing up soon, too. And a flashback to that night is approaching quickly!**

**So, anyway, I hope I have another chapter up for you guys soon. I'm not going to make any promises when but hopefully sometime this weekend. So, until then!**


	13. Chapter 13

Haley laid in bed staring up at her ceiling. She glanced at the alarm clock sitting on her nightstand and let out a quiet groan before turning her attention back to her ceiling. Her alarm clock went off fifteen minutes ago, and she knew she eventually had to actually drag herself out of bed. She had to be at work in a little over an hour, and she still had to take a shower and get dressed. She was avoiding it, though.

It's been two days since they returned home from Colorado, and it's been two days since she has seen Nathan. Yes, she was avoiding him. But he's been avoiding her as well. It's been four days since their kiss. The next day, everyone pretty much stayed in bed most of the day. They were all exhausted from New Years Eve. Haley returned back to the villa around twelve thirty. After running all the way back, she went straight to her bedroom and climbed into bed underneath the covers. She didn't shower or change or anything. She just climbed into bed.

Fifteen minutes later she heard footsteps walking up the stairs. She instantly knew they belonged to Nathan. She heard him shuffling outside of her door as if he was contemplating whether or not to knock. This went on for about five minutes until she heard him finally retreat to his own bedroom. She laid awake and listened to him shower in their ajoined bathroom. She continued to listen until she couldn't hear him any longer.

The next day, she pretty much stayed safely locked away in her bedroom. Too afraid to face Nathan, she took the cowardly way out. She knew they had a lot to talk about, but she wasn't ready. She tried everything she could think of to get that kiss out of her mind but nothing seemed to work. She kept replaying it over and over again. It's all she's been thinking about. She could still feel his soft lips against her own. She could still feel his tongue thrusting against hers. The kiss was hot and passionate while being rough and gentle at the same time. It was amazing and left her wanting more. But she had to fight those feelings. The last time she felt like this was six years ago, and she refused to go back there. She couldn't. She wouldn't let him do that to her once again. And she would let herself go through that again.

The loud beeping of her alarm clock broke her out of her thoughts as she realized she could no longer put off getting ready for work. It was time to face reality. She climbed out of bed and kept telling herself that maybe she'll be lucky and dodge Nathan the whole day. It could happen. She told herself over and over again. After a fifteen minute shower, she riffled through her closet and settled on a white lace cami with a light pink cashmire v-neck sweater paired with a gray pencil skirt which ruffled slightly at the bottom stopping just passed her knees. She straightened her auborn brown hair and applied her normal neutral makeup. Topping her outfit off with some jewelry and her gray heels, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Nathan walked through the casino floor scoping out the players and the dealers making sure things were running smoothly. He saw Peyton and Lucas on the opposite side of the floor seemingly scoping out the same things as well. They looked up and caught his eye as they all gave one another a nod before he continued his sweep of the floor. He couldn't help it as he took a glance towards the ballroom for probably the fifteenth time that morning. He knew she was working today, but he has yet to have seen her. He's been wanting to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say to be quite honest.  
>He knew he surprised her by that kiss, but he was just as surprised as she was. He really didn't think about it before he kissed her. He just did it. It was like an impulse that he can't take back. Did he want to? He wasn't sure, and honestly, that terrified him.<p>

He vividly remembered everything about that kiss. He remembered how warm and soft her lips were. He remembered how it felt as her tongue glided against his own. It was all so inviting and enticing, and he didn't want it to end. In that moment, he wanted more. And now, he wanted it to stop. While the kiss was amazing and pretty much perfect, it seemed to create yet another speedbump in his and Haley's friendship. As if things weren't complicated enough already.

He then remembered the look on Haley's face as she came to terms with what had actually happened. Her face was so full of emotions, but the only ones he could truly decipher were confusion and regret. Before he even had a chance to apologize or really say anything, she took off running. He just stood there watching her go. He should have run after her, but he couldn't. It was like he was frozen in his spot. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. Everything just happened so fast.

Finally collecting himself, he made his way back to the villa. Walking up the seemingly neverending stairs, he walked until he was standing in front of the door to her bedroom. He paced back and forth in front the door contemplating whether or not to actually knock. They needed to talk. But being the coward that he is, he looked at the door one last time before hesitantly retreating to his own bedroom. He took a seat on his bed as his mind instantly went back to that kiss. Just replaying it in his mind caused his body to heat up and respond. Quickly, he rushed into the bathroom to take a shower-a cold shower.

Realizing that he probably wasn't going to see her, he decided to keep moving. What would he say to her right now anyway? He didn't know. All he knew was that she clearly wasn't ready to talk to him either or else she would have made an effort herself. Unlike all of the other times when they were simply just avoiding each other, this time they actually did need some time apart. Not long, but they needed it. And hopefully soon, they could talk about it-about everything.

* * *

><p>"Haley James!" Haley turned at the screeching sound of her name and saw Brooke rushing into the ballroom. Before she even had a chance to respond, the bubbly brunette embraced her in a bone-crushing hug. "We have missed you and Nathan, even Dan, so much!" Brooke exclaimed.<p>

"Hey, Brooke. I've missed you, too." Haley returned. "But do you think you could let me go? It's kind of hard to breathe." She asked and immediately felt Brooke's grip on her loosen.

"Sorry, I tend to get a little carried away." Brooke apologized.

"A little?" Haley joked causing Brooke to lightly shove her. "Watch it, new girl!" She warned.

"New girl? Am I really still considered the new girl?" Haley asked.

"No, not really, but I'm going to go ahead and keep calling you that." Brooke answered as Haley let out a chuckle. "So, how was Colorado? I bet it was amazing, right? Although, I have to say that my idea of a vacation is on the beach somewhere."  
>She stated.<p>

"Normally, mine, too. But I love snow, and it just added something more to Christmas. And it's absolutely gorgeous there. I had such a wonderful time." Haley answered.

"And how did the dress look on you?" Brooke questioned.

"It was perfect, Brooke. Thank you so much. I really love it!" Haley said sincerely.

"Good. I was so worried that it wouldn't fit you or you wouldn't like it so much actually made. Did you end up wearing it for New Years then?" Brooke asked.

"Yes, I did. You pretty much saved me that night. I couldn't figure out anything to wear, and your package arrived just in time." Haley said as the dimpled beauty smiled boisterously. "How was everything around here?"

"Well, in terms of work, things were a bit on the boring side surprisingly. I mean, the casino was packed full of guests but there wasn't a whole lot of action. But in terms of outside of work, well, things were fantastic-especially New Years. We all just headed to a new nightclub on the strip-which by the way, Peyton and I are so taking you to. It was awesome! And Lucas and I ended the night off with a bang." She smirked.

"Really? So, are you two finally an actual couple now or are you still in the whole "friends with benefits" stage?" Haley questioned amused.

"Well, let's just say we're in whatever you would classify the middle stage is between those two. We are what I'd like to call non-exclusively dating." Brooke declared.

"Seriously, Brooke?" Haley asked incredulously.

"I'm just not ready to be in a committed relationship. I haven't had the best track record when it comes to guys and falling in love, and I just want to be sure of it all when I decide to take that next step once again. I know I come across as this confident vixon, but I'm really not. I mean, I'm confident in my body and my sex appeal, but relationships-not so much. I'm just as insecure as the next girl is." Brooke admitted shyly.

"I totally get that." Haley commented understanding her completely.

"Really?" Brooke questioned unsure.

"Of course, I do." Haley reassured. "Whenever you're ready to take the plunge, you'll know it. And if Lucas happens to be the right guy, he'll understand and wait for you." She continued as Brooke hugged her in appreciation.

"Hey! Where the hell is my love?" A voice shot out teasingly causing the two girls to break apart. They turned to see the curly blonde walking closer towards them.

"Hey, P. Sawyer." Brooke greeted.

"B. Davis." Peyton acknowledged her best friend before embracing Haley in a hug. "Hey, Hales. We've missed you around these parts." She said.

"Hey, Peyton. I definitely missed you guys as well." Haley returned as they broke apart.

"So, what did I miss?" Peyton asked.

"Not too much. We were just talking about Brooke and Lucas' dysfunctional relationship." Haley teased as Brooke sent her a playful glare.

"Dysfunctional sounds about right." Peyton added in as she was the one to receive a glare this time. "Dysfunctional and totally cute." She included.

"Oh, totally hot. Right, Hales." Brooke questioned with a smirk.

"Totally." Haley agreed as the three girls laughed. "Hey, I'm kind of hungry. Have you guys eaten? I could really go for some lunch right about now." She said.

"Starving." Brooke said.

"I'm in." Peyton said.

The three girls walked out of the ballroom and made their way to the hotel cafe. Haley felt her body stiffen slightly when she noticed Nathan, Clay, and Lucas sitting at one of the tables apparently eating lunch as well. She wasn't really ready to see or talk to him right now. She seriously contemplated turning around and running right back out. But she knew she couldn't do that. She took a deep breath as they continued to walk further into the cafe.

"Hey, the gang's all here." Brooke announced happily.

Hearing Brooke's voice, Nathan looked up and instantly saw Haley. He could tell she wasn't prepared for this. He saw it in her posture, and he read it in her face. Especially given the fact that she was "discreetly" trying to avoid any kind of eye contact with him. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn't want to push her. That wouldn't be too fair right now. As the girls took a seat at the adjacent table, he decided to do the best thing for her right now.

"Well, I'm sorry to cut this short, but my dad needed to talk to me about something." He announced standing up from the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Haley glance over at him seemingly surprised.

"What? We just got here. Can't you stay just a little longer?" Brooke asked.

"Sorry, but the boss calls." He apologized. He sent them all a goodbye before exiting out of the cafe.

Haley watched his retreating form and felt slightly guilty. She didn't mean for him to take off. She was actually surprised that he so willingly left. She knew he was doing it for her, and she couldn't help but be incredibly grateful for that. It was moments like these that she was so thankful he was her best friend.

Nathan walked into his father's office and found him diligently working away on his computer. His father had such a great work ethic. And when they were in the "office", he was all work just as he expected and demanded his employees to be, too. "Hey, dad." He greeted.

"Nathan. Hey, son. What brings you by today?" Dan questioned.

"Nothing really." Nathan answered plopping down in the chair.

"Wow. We spent a good two weeks together in Colorado and now you came in here just because. You better be careful, Nathan, I might begin to believe that you actually enjoy spending quality time with your old man." Dan said.

"Don't count on it." Nathan countered jokingly. "I can see that you're right back into the swing of things now that we're back home." He said.

"Oh, you know me." Dan said. "What about you? How are you doing now that we're back home?"

"I'm fine." Nathan answered.

"So, I couldn't help but notice things seemed a little tense between you and Haley." Dan began carefully. He watched as a solemn expression appeared on his son's face. Nathan didn't say anything, but he did nod slightly. "What happened? You guys seemed to be having a great time. You were getting along and everything." He asked.

"Everything was great until New Year's Eve." Nathan said quietly.

"What happened?" Dan prodded gently.

"We...we, umm...we sort of kissed at midnight." Nathan answered hesitantly.

"Well, that's pretty normal. A lot of people kiss at midnight. It's sort of a New Year's tradition." Dan said not quite understanding what the big deal is.

"No, I mean, we kissed. Like really kissed, and it wasn't because of tradition or anything like that." Nathan clearified surprising his dad.

"Wow. So, umm, how did it happen? What happened?" Dan asked.

"Well, I was hanging out with that Carrie girl who turned out to be kind of a stalker. Anyway, I found Haley and pleaded for her help. I don't know, it just happened so fast. One minute, Haley and I were talking. Then, I saw Carrie approaching us. And next, I was kissing Haley. And it wasn't just a quick friendly peck on the lips either." Nathan explained.

"Okay, so what happened after that?" Dan questioned.

"Well, after a need for air became an issue, we pulled away. I don't really know how much time passed or whatever, but all of a sudden Haley freaked out and took off. And we haven't spoken since." Nathan answered. He waited for his father to say something in response. A few seconds passed and he wondered why his father hadn't said anything yet. "Don't you have anything to say?" He questioned.

"What does the kiss mean?" Dan asked.

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked confused.

"Well, it obviously meant something to the both of you. If it didn't you guys probably would have just laughed it off or shook it off. But clearly not since you're avoiding one another. So, what does it mean?" Dan clearified.

"It...nothing, Dad. It was just a kiss." Nathan.

"Really?" Dan questioned skeptically.

"I think we're just..." Nathan began but haulted. "Surprised. I mean, the kiss wasn't exactly friendly. So, I think we are just afraid that it might put another strain on our friendship which we don't want." He continued.

"And that's all it meant?" Dan prodded.

"Yeah. We just need to talk and everything will go back to normal." Nathan said unconvincingly.

"Nathan, things haven't been normal between the two of you since you left for the marines." Dan said.

"I'm aware of that, Dad." Nathan shot out slightly aggravated.

"And why do you think that is? What happened back then that changed your guys' whole relationship? What happened that caused you to run away?" Dan implored.

"I didn't run away." Nathan retorted.

"Are you sure about that?" Dan challenged.

"I didn't. I had already signed on with the Marines before it happened." Nathan said.

"Before what happened?" Dan tried again.

"Just let it go, Dad." Nathan said not breaking.

"Okay, fine. But why did you join the Marines?" Dan asked trying a different approach.

"I wanted to..."

"Don't try that excuse, Nathan." Dan warned cutting his son off. "You were going to Duke on a full basketball scholarship. That was your dream for how long, and you just threw it all away."

"I didn't throw it away. I just chose a different dream." Nathan said.

"Since when was joining the Marines a dream of yours?" Dan asked. He watched as Nathan sat there shaking his head without answering. "I'm just trying to understand, Nathan." He said calmly.

"Well, you'll never understand!" Nathan exclaimed catching his father off-gaurd. "You don't want to, because this isn't what you hoped for me. It wasn't something you were proud of so you wouldn't understand!"

"Is that what you think? That I wasn't proud of you." Dan asked incredulously.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out." Nathan bit out.

"Well, you're wrong, Nathan. I was and am incredibly proud of you. You know how proud I was to tell people that my son was serving our country. I may not have supported you joining the Marines, but that was only because I wasn't sure it was what you really wanted. And maybe I didn't care for the way you just left, but that doesn't mean I wasn't proud of you, Nathan. I couldn't ask for a better son, and I wouldn't trade you for anyone." Dan said sincerely. He waited for any type of reaction from his son, but he couldn't read him whatsoever. "You do believe me, don't you. Nathan, I am so proud of you. Your mother and I both are. And you know Haley is, too." He reaffirmed.

"Then, why are you so hard on me?" Nathan asked.

"I'm hard on you, because I know that you are capable of great things. All I want is for you to have everything you could ever possibly want in life. And I know you-you're stubborn and hard-headed. You're cocky and arrogant. But you're smart and hardworking. And you're my son. I have never been ashamed of you, Nathan." Dan said.

"Haley and I slept together." Nathan blurted out before even realizing what he said.

"What?" Dan questioned shocked. He didn't know if he heard his son correctly or not. He could have sworn he heard him say that he and Haley slept together. "Did you just say what I think you said?" He inquired.

"The night before I left for the Marines, Haley and I slept together." Nathan confirmed.

"Wow. That, umm...that definitely explains a lot." Dan said still trying to process the information. "Why are you actually telling me this now?" He asked.

"I slept with Haley. I used her for my own selfish wants and needs. And the next morning, I just left. I didn't say goodbye or anything. I just left leaving behind a single note. I used her." Nathan said.

"Nathan..."

"Now are you sure you've never been ashamed of me?" Nathan cut his dad off abruptly. Without waiting for a response, he hastily rushed out of the office.

Dan watched his son rush out of his office before getting the chance to talk any more. He was still in shock. He couldn't believe what Nathan had just told him. He slept with Haley? He knew something happened between them, but he didn't expect that. He expected maybe a kiss or one of them confessing their feelings, but he didn't expect that. He began to question whether or not he was happy to finally know the truth about what happened. Putting everything aside, of course, he was happy. This was what he wanted-Nathan and Haley together. But the problem was that they weren't together. And at this point, they weren't even close to being together.

* * *

><p>Haley glanced at her watch and noticed it was just a little passed ten o'clock. She looked around her ballroom and saw just how deserted it was. She had no special events going on or any special guests or conventions. She was now off the clock and was ready to go home for the night. She grabbed her purse and made her way towards the exit. She stopped abruptly as she arrived at the piano. She looked around briefly to make sure she was all alone. Confirming she was, she hesitantly walked over to it placing her purse on the top before sitting on the bench. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she moved her hands until her fingers were sitting just slightly above the piano keys.<p>

Nathan was making his way through the casino floor but stopped as he came to the ballroom entrance. He couldn't help but wonder if Haley was still inside. He wanted to talk to her. No-he needed to talk to her. Before he could chance his mind, he pushed his way through the closed doors. Once inside, he immediately saw her sitting on the bench in front of the piano with her fingers hovering over the keys. He quietly shut the doors behind him before leaning against the wall as he heard the soft melody begin to play. And then, he heard her soothing, angelic voice which captured his full attention.

This road is anything but simple  
>Twisted like a riddle I've seen high and I've seen low<br>So loud, the voices of all my doubts  
>Are telling me to give up, to pack up and leave town<p>

But even so, I had to believe  
>Impossible means nothing to me<p>

So can you lift me up,  
>Turn the ashes into flames<br>Cause I have overcome  
>More than words will ever say<br>And I've been given hope  
>That there's a light on up the hall<br>And that a day will come  
>When the fight is won<br>And I think that day has just begun

Somewhere, yeah everybody starts there  
>I'm counting on a small prayer,<br>Lost in a nightmare, yeah  
>But I'm here, and suddenly it's so clear<br>The struggle through the long years  
>It taught me to outrun my fears<p>

Everything that's worth having, oh  
>Comes with trials worth withstanding<p>

So can you lift me up,  
>Turn the ashes into flames<br>Cause I have overcome  
>More than words will ever say<br>And I've been given hope  
>That there's a light on up the hall<br>And that a day will come  
>When the fight is won<br>And I think that day has just begun

Oh, lift me up  
>Oh, lift me up<br>Oh, lift me up  
>Lift me up<br>Lift me up  
>Oh, Lift me up<p>

Down and out is overrated  
>And I need to be elevated<br>Looking up is not enough  
>No, I would rather rise above<p>

So can you lift me up,  
>Turn the ashes into flames<br>Cause I have overcome  
>More than words will ever say<br>And I've been given hope  
>That there's a light on up the hall<br>And that a day will come  
>When the fight is won<br>And I think that day has just begun

Oh, oh, oh, just begun  
>Lift me up, yeah, oh, oh, oh, yeah, now<br>Oh, oh, lift me up  
>Lift me up<br>Lift me up

Haley closed her mouth and placed her hands onto her lap while closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She felt her lips curve into a slight smile soaking everything in. For the first time in a long time, she felt calm and at peace. Music and singing always seemed to have that affect on her. Ever since she was a little girl, she had a passion for writing song lyrics and poems. It wasn't until after her first therapy session, though, that she began to take piano lessons. Once she learned the basics and was pretty good, she began corresponding her lyrics with music notes.

Singing was never a profession she had a desire to get into. It was just a deep passion of hers. Aside from Nathan, it was the one thing that kept her going. Like Nathan, her music saved her. When she felt herself losing her hope, she wrote. She depended on her music for seven years. And then, things between her and Nathan went bad and she gave up on music. For three years, she never wrote and she never played. And she never sang-at least not in the way that she used to. It wasn't until the year she took off in college that she finally got it back.

Her thoughts were interrupted by soft clapping. She jumped slightly in surprise and turned to see Nathan walking closer to her. "Nathan, hi. I umm...I didn't know anyone was in here." She stammered slightly embarrassed.

"That was amazing, Hales." He said sincerely. He was now standing next to her by the piano. "I haven't heard you sing in so long. I forgot how great you are."

"I don't know about that." She stated shyly.

"No, really, you were great. You're amazing, Hales." He said.

She looked up at him and couldn't stop the smile that formed on her face. She had to remember to breathe as she felt the all too familiar butterflies in her stomach.

"Did you write that?" He asked moving closer to her. He watched as she slid down so he could join her on the bench.

"Yeah, I did." She answered.

"Wow. It was beautiful." He said.

"Thank you." She responded quietly. She realized this was the first time they've really spoken since New Years Eve. Just the thought of that night had her thinking about their kiss. She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't control it. The kiss happened, and she had to face it. "Are you getting ready to go home?" She asked trying to push away her thoughts for just a little bit.

"Actually, I'm technically still on the clock." He answered.

"Oh, well, maybe you should get back to work." She said letting out a small laugh.

"Nah, they're fine without me. Someone will let me know if they need me." He said as she nodded slightly while silence drifted over them. Seconds later, Nathan decided to break it. "I was hoping you would be in here." He said.

"Really?" She questioned quietly.

"Yeah. I hate this, Hales. I really hate this." He admitted.

She snapped her eyes shut as she listened to his voice. He sounded so weak and defeated. He sounded vulnerably and tired and helpless. "I do, too."

"Ever since that night, nothing has been the same." He said.

"No, it hasn't." She agreed and knew instantly he wasn't talking about their kiss. He was talking about the night they slept together. She took a deep breath realizing they were finally going to have the conversation that was so long overdue. "Why didn't you tell me about the Marines? I mean, how long did you know that you were leaving?" She asked.

"I enlisted a couple days before I left. I promise you that it was quick and sudden, and I promise you that I was going to tell you. I planned to the night before I left. But things just got so confusing. I don't know when everything shifted between us. All I know is that one moment I was standing in front of my best friend trying to tell her I was leaving, and the next moment we were kissing. I don't know what happened in between." He said.

"You told me you loved me." She said.

"I know, but I didn't...it didn't..." He struggled to find the right words.

"Did you tell me you loved me just to get me into bed?" She asked sharply as tears filled her eyes.

"No! God, no, Haley. I would never do that. It was just...I don't really know why I said it. It just came out, but that thought never even crossed my mind. After everything that went down with your father, I would never do that to you. And I'm so sorry that I even let us go any further than just a kiss. I'm so sorry for that." He apologized.

"Nathan, it wasn't only your fault. It takes two, and I definitely wasn't pushing you away. I could have said no, but I didn't. It's my fault as much as it is yours. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. I'm a big girl, and I control my actions. So please, just stop blaming yourself. Okay?" She said.

"Okay." He agreed quietly.

"I don't know where we go from here." She admitted miserably seconds later. "I keep hoping and praying that our friendship will go back to the way it used to be. But it won't ever be the same, will it?" She questioned.

"No." He answered solemnly. His heart broke saying that simple word, and it broke even more when he saw her snap her eyes shut as tears strolled down her cheeks. "But I will fight like hard to get it back. I won't let one night ruin our entire friendship." He vowed.

"But why did that one night ruin our friendship?" She challenged him. She waited for some type of answer, but all he did was look down and shake his head. "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why didn't you tell me goodbye? I would have been shocked and upset and probably angry, but it still would have made such a difference. Do you know how it felt to wake up all alone after what happened between us? I was already feeling confused and unsure about the night before. You just left me. At first, I just thought maybe you were downstairs or in your room or something. And then, I noticed you were gone. I panicked slightly. I was so worried. I tried calling you but nothing. And then, I found your note on my nightstand. I just...it was hard, Nathan." She said.

"I'm sorry, Hales." He said.

"I don't want you to be sorry!" She exclaimed standing up from the bench and moved to stand in front of the piano.

Nathan was quick to follow her surprised slightly by her outburst. "Then, what do you want, Haley?" He asked matching her tone.

"I want..." She began but was interrupted by the doors to the ballroom opening. She and Nathan turned their attention towards the door both completely shocked at who was standing there. "Julian?" She questioned.

"Hey, baby." He greeted excitedly and rushed over to her while embracing her in a tight hug.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until next week." She asked returning the hug.

"Well, I finished my finals early. I am officially done with college!" He exclaimed.

"That's great, Julian!" She said as happily as she could muster.

"Yeah, so I decided to surprise you and move here earlier than expected. Surprise!" He said wrapping his arms around her waist in another hug.

Haley felt the air sucked out of her as his arms wrapped around her waist tightly. She hestitated before wrapping her own arms around his neck. She couldn't believe he was here right now. She wasn't expecting him, and she wasn't ready for him to be here. She and Nathan still had so much to work through and with Julian here now, it just complicated things even more. She couldn't deal with this. She couldn't deal with both Nathan and Julian. She couldn't.

Nathan watched the two of them and felt a pang in his heart. He didn't even realize he was clenching and unclenching his fists over and over down at his sides. What was he doing here? He didn't want him here. He didn't belong here. Not with their family. And not with Haley.

**There you go! First off, I wanted to apologize for not updating as quickly as I did with The Family Business. I know you guys understand, but I really hate that I'm not as quick to what I usually am. Having said that-I'm going to be moving yet again this next week. I'm not moving completely so I don't have to pack and unpack everything and all that stuff, but I will be busy getting things together. I'm going to work really really hard to have at least another update for you before at least Wednesday. I'm hoping maybe sooner, but I don't want to make any promises. But anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There is tons more to come especially with Julian now there. Thanks to all of your guys' reviews and story alerts and such. You're all pretty awesome! So, let me know what you think, and I hope to have another chapter soon!**

**Also...song credit goes to Kate Voegele! I love that girl!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I'm back. I am SO SORRY for such a long update! I swear I had every intention of getting this up for you guys much sooner than this. Life has been so hectic the last couple of weeks, and I haven't really found any time to sit down and actually write. But things have calmed down, and I feel like I'm back in my writing groove.**

**A couple things about this chapter...it's all Nathan and Haley. Plus, there is finally a flashback back to the nigth they slept together. It's all in Nathan's POV. There will be another one or at least mentions from Haley about her POV of that night as well. But it's important to hear Nathan's first. I really hope I did it justice. At first, I wasn't so sure about it (I mean, I'm still not 100%), but towards the end, I enjoyed it more. But hopefully, you guys will like it all! LOL!**

**Thanks again for your awesome reviews and all of the story alerts and stuff. You guys are awesome and my complete inspiration for my stories. And I apologize for not updating as frequently as you and myself would like. But I promise, I'm not abondoning this story or my other ones. I will finish them no matter what! I'm just a little bit busier than I used to be now. Anyway, happy reading!**

Haley stared at the big wooden rectangle in front of her. She's been standing in the same position, staring at the same spot for the past five minutes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stretching her hand out in front of her and finally pounding her knuckles against the object. It was couple minutes later when she noticed the door swinging open revealing his surprised face.

"Haley, what are...what time is it?" Nathan asked still allowing his eyes to adjust.

"I'm sorry it's so late." She apologized. She had to remember to breathe when she noticed he was wearing nothing but a baggy pair of navy sweatpants. He had no shirt on. God, he had such an amazing body. She found herself thinking. But as soon as that thought popped into her brain, she quickly pushed it right out. She looked back up only to be met with pure confusion that filled his eyes.

"It's after two in the morning, Hales." He said. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?" He asked in a slight panic as he took a couple steps closer to her.

"No, I'm fine. I just...I had to talk to you. You know what, I didn't even realize it was so late. I can just talk to you later. I'm sorry I woke you up and bothered you. I'm just going to go." She rambled as she turned on her heel to take off. She felt her face flush in embarrassment. She didn't even make it a full step when she felt his hand latch onto the flesh right above her elbow.

"Haley, it's fine." He shot out quickly while stopping her movement. He watched as she turned back around to face him once again. "Come inside." He invited.

"No, I'm sorry. I really didn't realize how late it was." She apologized.

"It's okay. And I'm already up so you might as well come inside. I'm not going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon." He urged once again stepping slightly to his right and pulling her through the entryway and into his house. She smiled timidly at him as she finally accepted the invitation without any protest. "So, what are you doing here?" He asked once they were both inside.

"A couple reasons actually." She answered vaguely.

"Care to elaborate?" He chuckled softly.

"Yeah. I, umm...first off, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for Julian just showing up earlier. I honestly didn't know he was coming into town. I didn't think he was finished in California for another two weeks." She began.

"Why are you sorry, Hales? It was obviously a surprise to you as well. You don't have anything to be sorry for." He said. The truth was that as soon as she mentioned Julian's name, his whole body tensed. He didn't want to think about him. He didn't want to think about her and Julian living together. Sharing a home. Sharing a bed. Sharing a life. It hurt, and it confused the hell out of him. But he knew she was just as surprised as he was by Julian's sudden, unexpected arrival.

"I know. I just, I wanted you to know that I wouldn't have kept that from you. I would have told you he was coming." She continued.

"I know, Hales. It's okay. I mean, it had to happen sooner or later, right? You are getting married to the guy, and we both knew he was moving here this month." He said painfully.

"Yeah." She mumbled out quietly-so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

"Is he all settled in?" He asked while fighting every instinct his brain was telling him. He wanted to tell her he honestly didn't give a damn about Julian or their future life together. But he couldn't do that to her. He couldn't.

"He's getting there. All of his stuff is going to be coming in the rest of the week. He was pretty exhausted. We went home, and he basically passed out." She answered hesitantly.

"That's good." He managed to croak out. "So, what's the other reason you stopped by?" He asked hoping for a change in their conversation.

"Oh, yeah. I, umm...Julian wants to meet everyone. And I think that would be a good idea since he's going to be living here and everything. Anyway, umm...I was thinking of asking everyone if they wanted to meet for dinner tomorrow night so I can introduce Julian to them." She responded.

"Well...of course, that makes sense. I know everyone is really anxious to meet him. Especially Brooke and Peyton." Nathan stammered out. Nope, they were still stuck on the topic of Julian. He thought. He couldn't help but wonder if that's what their conversations were going to consist of from here on out. Of course, Julian was going to be a part of their lives now and a part of their conversations. He wasn't naive enough to think otherwise.

"Yeah, Brooke and Peyton threatened to severely harm me if they didn't meet him soon." She said as the two shared a soft, awkward laugh.

"So...was that all you came by for?" He asked. He didn't understand why she was here to be quite honest. Not that he was complaining in any way, but she could have simply called him or told him the next day. She didn't have to show up at his house this early in the morning. And why wasn't she spending time with Julian? The guy just arrived in town a few hours ago. What was she doing here?

"I guess so. I'm sorry, I should have just called." She muttered out in embarrassment.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" He asked deciding not to seek the answers to the questions rolling around in his brain.

"Oh, no. I've bothered you enough as it is." She declined.

"You're not bothering me, Hales. You're already here. You might as well stay for a little bit. And now that I'm awake, I won't be getting back to sleep anytime soon." He urged. He watched the conflicting emotions pass over her face. He had already decided that he didn't care what her reasons were for coming over. Nothing mattered. All that mattered was that he wasn't ready for her to leave yet. If she left, she would be going back home to Julian. And he couldn't bare that thought. "I have ice cream." He coaxed and smiled victoriously as he watched her relent.

The two prepared their bowls of ice cream, popped in a movie, and cuddled together under a blanket on his couch.

It was close to two hours later when the movie was in it's final scenes. The two hadn't really spoken throughout the movie. They just watched and relaxed. "Nathan?" Haley called out quietly.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Do you ever think about the future?" She questioned randomly confusing him slightly.

"Of course, I do." He replied.

"What do you think about? I mean, do you think about work and your job? Or do you think about other things as well...like marriage and kids?" She asked.

"I think about all that stuff." He answered.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah. Why?" He questioned.

"It's just...back then you told me you didn't believe in marriage and that you never wanted any kids. You always used to laugh at me and make fun of me, because I couldn't wait for that that stuff." She said.

"Well, I said a lot of stuff back then that I don't mean now." He responded.

"Like what?" She prodded.

"I don't know, Hales. I was different back then." He said.

"You're not that much different." She muttered causing him to turn and look at her. He gave her a look demanding her to explain further. "Come on, Nathan, don't act all surprised. I have one name for you...Rachel." She continued.

"Hales, Rachel meant nothing to me. That was just..."

"What you did back in high school." She finished for him abruptly shutting him up. "And apparently, she's not the only one either-just like back in high school." She added.

"I guess that's true, but that doesn't mean I haven't changed. I have." He insisted.

"I know you have, Nathan. I'm not saying you haven't somewhat. And I'm not saying you're a bad person or anything like that. I just...you're you." She said.

"What do you mean by that?" He questioned confused.

"You're Nathan Scott. You are like the most popular boy with dozens of friends and countless girls throwing themselves at you. You don't want to be tied down. You don't want to be settle with one person for the rest of your life." She explained.

An awkward silence drifted upon them for a couple minutes before Nathan broke it. "I used to be like that, Hales. The truth is that I haven't been with anyone since Rachel." He revealed as Haley looked at him surprised. "I haven't." He confirmed. "And...I do want to get married and have kids someday. I don't know when, but I do want to."

"Well, I can't wait to meet the girl who finally convinces Nathan Scott to settle down." She remarks as they share a quiet look with one another.

"Are you happy, Hales?" He asks after a few passing seconds.

"Most days." She answered.

"That's all I want for you. I love you so much, Hales, and I just want you to be happy. And if Julian can make you happy, then I'll be okay with that." He says.

"And what if he can't?" She slips out taking him by surprise.

"If you are even thinking that, then maybe he's not the right guy for you." He answers.

"But he's been there for me. And he waited patiently for me when I wasn't ready. And he's always been honest with me about the way he feels for me. He loves me, and he has no problem admitting it. And I love him because of those things. And I do see a future with him. I see a marriage and kids. I can see it with him." She says.

"Can you be honest with him?" He asks.

"I, umm...yeah, of course, I can be honest with him." She stammers.

"Does he know?" He asks vaguely.

"Does he know what?" She questions.

"About us." He clearifies.

"No, he doesn't." She admitted.

"Then, you're not being completely honest with him." He counters.

"It's not really about that. It's just...I mean, what's the point of telling him?" She asks.

"What's the point? The point is that I think your fiance might want to know that you slept with your best friend." He shot out.

"Why? It didn't mean anything." She retorted. "At least not to you, right? I mean, you had no problem leaving me the next morning without even a goodbye. Yeah, there was a note, but that wasn't a goodbye. At least not one that meant anything. And practically a whole year went by, and I never heard a word from you. No phone call. No letter. Nothing. In fact, I was the one who made the first move. I was the one who sent the first form of communication between us. It didn't matter to you." She continued on with a slight edge in her voice.

"It meant something." He said quietly-so quietly she almost didn't hear him. He looked up and looked straight into her eyes. "It meant something, Hales." He repeated with actuality.

"What did it mean?" She asked with a hitch in her breath.

_Nathan walked up the stairs in his house looking for Haley. He knew she was in her bedroom. His parents were away for the weekend. How was he supposed to tell her this? He was dreading this so much. It was seconds later when he appeared in her doorway. She was sitting on her bed reading a book in her hands. "You do know that we're finished with school, __right?" He joked startling her a bit._

_"Yes, I do." She retaliated glaring up at him as he walked further into her bedroom. He watched as she placed her book on the nightstand along side her bed. He took the opportunity to appraise her body silently. She had on a mustard yellow sweatshirt. He could see the bottom edge of a white cami poking out underneath it. She was wearing a dark pair of denim shorts that stopped at her mid-thighs showing off her nicely tanned legs. He had to admit that aside from her face, her legs were the most amazing part of her body. He ran his eyes back up the length of her small, petite body. Her hair was thrown up in her trademark messy bun, and there wasn't a single trace of makeup on her face. She was such a natural beauty._

_He snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed her moving her legs underneath her so she was sitting Indian-style on her bed giving him more than enough space to join her. "So, I have next weekend already planned out for us." She revealed in complete excitement as he took a seat in front of her. How am I supposed to tell her? He questioned himself._

_"Oh really, what are we doing?" He asked._

_"I was thinking we could head up to your parent's cabin for the weekend. We could swim and jet ski and all that fun stuff. __Doesn't that sound like so much fun?" She exclaimed._

_"Yeah." He answered solemnly._

_"Hey, what's wrong with you?" She questioned smacking him lightly on his arm. "Why aren't you more excited about this?" __She continued._

_"I am, Hales. I'm just...I was just thinking how everything's coming to an end soon. In less than three months, you're going to be at Stanford, and I'm going to..."_

_"Actually, I have something to talk to you about." She interrupted him. He immediately knew what she was planning on revealing next. "I've been thinking about going to Duke with you." She said._

_"You're not going to Duke, Hales." He said with certainty._

_"I haven't decided yet, but I am really considering it." She said._

_"No, you're not going to consider it." He said as she looked at him incredulously. "Haley, you've wanted to go to Stanford practically your whole life. You've worked so hard for this, and you deserve it. You're going to Stanford."_

_"Nathan, it's just a school. And Duke's a great school, too." She reasoned._

_"But Duke's my dream not yours. Your dream has always been Stanford." He countered._

_"I don't want to be that far away from you. Nathan, do you realize that there are close to three thousand miles between our schools. I don't think I'm ready to put all that distance between us." She said quietly._

_"I saw your acceptance letter from Duke last week." He revealed._

_"Why didn't you say anything?" She questioned._

_"I've been trying to think of ways to make sure you don't give up your dreams to follow me." He answered._

_"It's not some life or death sacrifice, Nathan. This is something I have really been analyzing in my head. I'm not making some rash decision. I haven't even decided what I'm going to do yet. I'm just going over all of my options. Nothing's settled yet. But I do know when I make my decision, I won't have any regrets." She said with certainty._

_"But Haley, I just..."_

_"Nathan, can we just not talk about it right now? We have a lot of time, and I don't want to ruin our last couple months together with this. I just want to spend time with my best friend." She interrupts him._

_"You're right. We can talk about it later." He agreed._

_Over the next few hours, the two just lounged around watching movies. Ten o'clock was quickly approaching. Soon, it would be the next morning which meant Nathan would be leaving. He had to tell Haley now before it was too late. He was just about to open his mouth to talk when she beat him to it._

_"Do you think it's possible to still be a virgin after you've had sex?" She asked randomly catching both him and herself off gaurd._

_"What do you mean?" He asked confused._

_"I just...that book I was reading earlier is about this sixteen year old girl who was raped. She was a virgin before it happened. And now, she tells everyone that she isn't a virgin anymore. And she lies if people ask her about her first time. __She makes up a different story to tell with each person who asks her about it. It's weird, because for her, it's actually helping her deal with what happened. I guess, I umm...I just was wondering if a person can technically still call herself a virgin in those types of situations. I mean, it's not like she chose to have sex. It was against her own will. Would she be lying if she told people she was a virgin?" She questioned explaining herself further._

_"I don't think she'd be lying." He answers._

_"I don't know." She says while climbing off of the bed and walking over to her dresser._

_"Hales?" He calls out as he quickly climbs off of the bed and follows her. "You want to actually tell me what's going on in that head of yours." He continued until he was standing right next to her._

_"I've been thinking about college and everything. I'm safe here. People here know me. They know I'm shy Haley James. I'm tutor girl. And they 'know' that I'm a virgin. And they all think I'm saving myself for marriage. When I leave, nobody's going to know this. What if I get a roomate who is super nosy and tries to pry into my private life? Or what if all of my future friends are all open in talking about their sex lives and ask me about mine?" She explains._

_"It's actually nobody else's business. You don't have to tell anyone anything." He says._

_"I know. It's just that...I've always thought about what could have been. I used to hear the girls in our school talking about the night they lost their virginities. I heard so many different versions of what happened. I've always imagined what my night could have been like. I always pictured how magical and special it would be. It was never a bad experience. It never hurt. I never cried. I wasn't scared. And I was ready. And it was my choice." She says._

_"It still can be, Hales." He insisted._

_"Technically, no it can't." She countered._

_"What happened wasn't your fault. You didn't ask for that to happen to you. You didn't want that to happen to you. And if you don't want to think of it as your first time, then you don't have to. And I don't think you'd be lying about it." He tried reassuring her._

_"But what do I tell my future husband or boyfriend or whatever. You know, there's nobody else who knows the whole truth about what happened except you, your parents, my therapist, and a doctor and a couple nurses. I don't want anyone else to know. It's very hard for me to talk about. But I don't want to keep something this big from someone I could be sharing my life with. You're the only person I've ever been able to feel comfortable talking to about this. You're the only person I've ever opened up to all the way." She explains._

_"When you fall in love, you'll be able to confide in him. And he'll understand and love you even more for being brave enough to face all of it." He said._

_"But what if I can't? What if I'm never able to open myself up to anyone? What if I'll never be enough for someone." She cried brokenly._

_His heart broke as he listened to her words and watched her tears stroll down her cheeks. Without another thought, he brushed the tears from her cheek before cupping her face in his hands and leaning down. Not even a full second later, his mouth was moving ever so slightly against hers. It was a soft, chaste kiss. He pulled back only slightly to where his lips were still practically pressed up against hers. "You'll always be enough for me. I love you, Hales." He croaked out._

_Before waiting for a response, he kissed her again. This time a little more forcefully. She didn't seem to mind as she quickly responded. He took the opportunity and ran his tongue along her bottom lip and couldn't stop the smirk that formed when she opened her mouth up to him. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and instantly sought her own. Their tongues collided and battled for dominance._

_He felt his body reacting as she let out a small moan. Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her body further into her and groaned as their lower bodies came into contact with one another. As he tightened his hold around her waist, he felt her wrapping her arms around his neck. Their kissing had only increased and heated up. The passion was practically exploding between them. He couldn't believe the sensations and emotions he was feeling. His first thought was how right this felt._

_He quickly but slowly grabbed the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled it up and off her body. She didn't even attempt to stop him. Instead, she volunteeringly lifted her arms up for him. The need for air became too great as he detached his lips from hers, but he didn't want to lose any physical contact with her so he leaned down and brushed his lips against her neck. He could tast the scent of vanilla-her favorite scent that she wore all the time. Tasting it was so much better than smelling it. __He opened his mouth and sucked vehemently yet gently on the exposed skin. He heard her breathing become more labored as she threw her head back even further to give him great access._

_He felt him grow slightly harder when he felt her soft, tiny hands slip under his t-shirt and run along his bare chest. Never before had this simple gesture caused him to feel this way. He felt himself losing control. His brain was telling him to stop but his body wasn't listening. And he didn't know what the hell is heart was telling him. He couldn't explain any of this. All he did know was that he wanted this. He wanted her-all of her._

_Wanting to feel her as well, he slipped his own hands underneath her tank top. He cautiously ran his hand up higher and higher. He didn't want to push her, and he didn't want her to stop them. But he needed her. He needed to be closer to her. In just a few short hours, he was leaving her. At that thought, his hand moved faster and finally reached his desired destination. It amazed him at how her breast fit so perfectly in his hand._

_He felt her tugging on his shirt, and he quickly realized what she wanted. He pulled away from her and ripped the shirt from his body. He watched as her eyes scanned his chest before locking her eyes with his. It was as if the atmosphere shifted around them. With that one look, they both knew what they wanted and what they longed for. Maybe what they've both wanted and longed for for awhile now._

_He swept down and captured her lips in another kiss as she let out a small moan. Grabbing at the hem of her tank top, he pulled it off of her body. He ran his eyes over her. She had on a lacy pink pluge bra that pushed her breasts up. He was actually surprised to see her wearing a bra so "risque". He didn't even think she owned something like this. His mind instantly wondered if she would surprise him with what she had on underneath her short. Not wanting to waste any more time, he ran his hands down and popped open the button of her shorts. He ran the zipper down slowly and cautiously. He still wanted to give her time and the chance to stop them. As much as he wanted her, he wasn't about to push her or force her into doing anything._

_Before he could go any further, Haley craddled his face and brought him back to her in a searing kiss. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. His hands roamed down over her backside and pulled her forcefully into him causing them to both let out a moan. He began to lift her from the ground as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist while never breaking their kiss. Walking over to her bed, he dropped them both down onto it. Her legs remained locked around his waist as he let his hands roam all over her body._

_Breaking away from her mouth, he attached his lips to her neck as he left hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin skimm__ing passed her pulse point all the way to her the valley beginning in between her breasts. He heard her whimper as he smirked against her skin. He continued his destination down her stomach to where her shorts were unbuttoned and unzipped. He dropped one final kiss right along her panty line. He could seen a hint of pink lace as he felt his body heat up. Gripping the denim fabric, he glided the shorts down her legs tossing them to the side. He stared down at his best friend lying on top of her bed in nothing but a pink lacy matching bra and panty set. She looked absolutely amazing and completely sexy. In this moment, she wasn't Haley James-his best friend since birth. She was just Haley._

_He covered his body on top of hers once again and began kissing her passionately. She felt her hands running along the waistline of his jeans. He couldn't help but groan at the feel of her. He could definitely tell she wasn't wanting them to stop, but he could also sense her hesitation just slightly. It didn't feel like a hesitation of whether or not she wanted this but rather a hesitation as to what she felt comfortable in doing herself. It was as if she was testing her boundaries-if she had any or not. Deciding to help her out, he placed his hand over hers and moved it to the button of his jeans._

_His heart stopped for just a second when she pulled back from him. Fearfully, he locked eyes with her. But what he saw definitely wasn't her wanting to stop them. All he saw was pure lust and love in her big, beautiful brown eyes. They didn't move or say anything. They just stared at one another. "Nathan." She whispered so quietly never looking away from him._

_"Yeah?" He replied hoarsely._

_"Make my first time amazing." She demanded softly and timidly yet forcefully and surely._

_He felt his body relax and heat up at her words. She wanted this. She wanted him. That was all he needed to know before he swooped down and kissed her passionately. He reached around her and unhooked her bra and tore it away from her body. His eyes feasted on her breasts hungrily. "You're so beautiful, Hales." He praised before attaching his mouth to her right nipple while his hand sought the attention of her left. He knew she was enjoying every minute of this from the sounds of her voice and the way her hands moved over his own body._

_It didn't take long before, with the her help, he shed out of his jeans and his boxers leaving him completely naked in front of her. She sat there still in nothing but her panties. He hooked his fingers in the sides of them and looked up to her silently asking her permission which she smiled shyly at him and nodded._

_At long last, he was once again hovering above her. He knew she was ready for him, and he was definitely ready for her. He looked at her one final time before he gently pushed himself all the way into her. He groaned as she took in a sharp breath and snapped her eyes shut. He saw a couple tears fall from her eyes, and he bent down and kissed them away. "I'm sorry. __Do you want me to stop?" He asked quietly into her ear. He knew this was going to hurt her physically. But along with that, he didn't know if she would hurt emotionally as well. He didn't want those painful memories to surface at this moment. He wanted to take those away from her and show her what making love is really all about._

_"No." She whispered._

_After letting her adjust to him for awhile, he slowly began to move in and out of her. He could tell the pain she was feeling was gradually dissapating. Her moans were beginning to be about pleasure rather than pain, and he was incredibly grate__ful for that. He didn't want her first time to be like the last. He wanted to make it perfect for her. She was perfect in every way, and he wanted to be perfect for her._

_Minutes passed as their bodies were slick with sweat. Haley was running her fingers roughly through his hair as he was currently sucking and nipping at her neck. He knew he was close and had to force himself to hold off until he felt her clenching around him. "Nathan." She moaned causing a sense of pride to course through his body. The way his name fell from her lips was intoxicating. He realized he could go the rest of his life hearing that and be quite content._

_He disconnected his lips from her neck and reconnected their lips as they fused together as one. Her tongue felt so amazing against his own. He linked their hands together and pushed them back against the mattress right next to her head. He silently thanked her when he felt her muscles start to clench around him, because he didn't know how much longer he could hold off. She moaned his name once again as she let go completely. "I love you." He declared quietly. It was so quiet that he didn't even think she could hear him. At that moment he finally allowed himself to let go as well while muttering her name in the process._

_He rested his forehead against hers as they came down from their highs. Their breathed began to even out as their bodies slowly began to calm down. He pulled back so he could look into her eyes. He searched for any sign of regret or pain or anything at all. But when she smiled softly at him, he knew she wasn't feeling any of those things. He leaned down and kissed her once again. Their tongues and lips molded together before the need for air forced them apart. "Are you okay?" __He asked._

_"Yeah, I'm perfect." She answered. Content with her answer, he rolled onto his back and brought her to rest on top of him. __She laid her head on his damp chest as he ran his hand soothingly up and down her bare, damp back. Not muttering a single word, they both fell into a peaceful slumber._

_The next morning, Nathan awoke confused by his surroundings at first. But seeing and feeling Haley wrapped tightly in his arms, he instantly remembered the events from the previous night. He couldn't help but smile. This was definitely one of the best ways to wake up. He could definitely get used to this. As soon as that thought occurred, a sense of dread fell upon him. He looked over at her clock and noticed it was just a little after six in the morning. He had to get going. How could he do this to her? How could he do this to himself? He didn't want to leave her. He didn't before and especially not now. __He needed her. She needed him. He had to, though. _

_He carefully rolled away from her and out of the bed. He headed down to his bedroom to take a shower, get dressed, and get his bags. He jotted down some words that he knew wouldn't make a difference on a piece of paper and crept back into Haley's bedroom. He left his bags by the doorway and walked over to the bed. He placed the note on her nightstand before looking back over to her. He pulled the blankets to cover her naked form and leaned back to observe her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Hales. Last night was the perfect way to say goodbye. I love you." He whispered as he stood up and headed back to the hallway. He had to get out of here now before he couldn't. "Goodbye, Hales." He said one final time before picking up his bags and rushing down the stairs and out of his house._

"What did it mean, Nathan?" Her voice sounded breaking him out of his past thoughts. His eyes met hers as the two stared at one another. He didn't answer her question, though. He didn't know how to answer it. Whatever answer he gave her, whether it was the truth or not, would end up hurting one or the both of them and their friendship. Could he risk that? He couldn't. He couldn't lose her. He needed her in his life-no matter what way, he needed her. "Nathan?" She pleaded desperately.

"Hales, I don't know what it meant, okay. I mean, it definitely wasn't just sex between us. You weren't just like all of the other girls, and I never once thought that. You've always been and always will be more to me than any of them. I love you, and you're my best friend." He began.

Haley hid it well, but her heart broke at his words. She believed him. She knew she was more than the others. He had once again just confirmed what had always been there between them. They were best friends. They were always going to be best friends. That's all they would ever be. She accepted it then, and she'll have to learn to accept it now.

"That night was amazing. It was. But it broke us, and I don't want that anymore. I want you in my life, and I don't want to fight with you anymore. I can't. It's breaking the both of us, and we can't keep letting it. It happened. It's over and done with. It's time to move forward from that night. I know you want to, too. You're about to get married and start a new chapter in your life. I want to support you with that. And I want you to be happy and have everything you want and you deserve. I'm asking you if we can please try to move forward with our friendship. I can't lose you, Hales. I'll admit that our friendship will probably never be the same again, but we can try. And maybe it will be even better." He said brokenly yet hopeful.

"Yeah. Let's just move forward." She agreed hesitantly.

Before they could say anything further, the ringer to her cell phone went off. She took a look at the caller id and and then back over to Nathan. "It's Julian. He's probably wondering where I'm at. I should get home." She said as they stood up and walked to his front door. "Thank you for tonight." She said.

"You're welcome. Thank you, too." He returned.

"So, tomorrow night. You'll be there and tell the guys?" She questioned.

"Of course. I'll be there." He answered. She threw her arms around him as he did to her waist embracing in a tight hug. They both closed their eyes for a brief moment taking in the feelings they evoked in one another. "Bye, Nathan."

"Bye, Hales." He whispered quietly as he felt her back away from him and walk away. He leaned against his doorway and felt his heart break just a bit.

**There it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it and enjoyed the flashback from Nathan's POV. The next chapter, we finally see Nathan's really jealous side come out. I've got to say that I'm really excited to start writing him that way! And since my life has somewhat settled down, I feel pretty confident that I'll have another update sometime this weekend. Anyway, let me know what you think. And until next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, I'm back with an update! It's a long chapter which I don't think you guys will complain about. LOL! ****But there's a lot of Haley's college history revealed in this chapter. There's still so much more to come with her history, Naley's history, and not to mention the present!**

**Thank you so much for your guys' reviews. It really means a lot to me. Even just the story alerts. And thank you to those reading but not reviewing. I hope you are still enjoying the story. There's still so much more to come! So, anyway, read the chapter and let me know what you think. Happy reading!**

Nervous. That word pretty much summed up all of Haley's feelings right now. She stood in front of her mirror observing her appearance. She had on a black, strapless dress which came a little further passed her mid-thighs. It was simple. It had no detail to it or any ruffles or anything. It was just a typical elegant, black dress. Her hair was curled slightly cascading down her shoulders and back. Her makeup was done in her normal neutral colors. She had on a necklace with two hearts overlapping and a single diamond jewel connecting within each heart. Deb gave it to her the day she graduated from high school saying that it belonged to her mother. Deb told her that Lydia would be so proud of her. She had in the earrings that Nathan gave her for Christmas. On her left hand, she wore her engagement ring. On her right hand, she wore Nathan's ring. Her outfit was complete with a simple pair of black heels which had a diamond jewel on the side of the strap.

Haley analyzed herself through the mirror. On the outside, she could admit that she looked pretty good. But on the inside, she was a mess. She had been fighting an inner battle with herself all day about whether or not to call everyone up and cancel. She had no way of predicting how this night was going to turn. She had a feeling that Julian would actually fit right in with everyone else. He was such a funny, friendly guy. He was very easy to get along with and just in general, a great guy. She didn't know a single person back at Stanford who didn't like him. That wasn't the issue. Nathan was the issue at the current moment. How was he going to act tonight? She didn't know. He told her he was going to try because of her, but that didn't really mean anything these days. She knew Nathan felt this need to protect her and make sure she was treated right. He told her she deserved nothing but great things in life. She didn't want things to be awkward between him and Julian. But how could they not be? She silent thought to herself.

"Haley, are you ready?" She heard his voice calling as he walked into the bedroom. "Wow, you look amazing." He commented as he took in the sight of her. She smiled at him in appreciation before walking over to him. "You don't look so bad yourself, Julian Baker." She returned as she started to fix his tie. He did look good. She told herself. He was wearing a black and navy blue pinstriped button-down shirt with a navy blue silky tie. He had it paired with black trouser pants. Julian was a very good-looking guy. It was obvious. He had one of the most gorgeous smiles which instantly made you smile. "Are you ready?" She asked him.

"I'm a little nervous." He admitted.

"You don't have anything to be nervous about. Everyone is going to love you. And tonight's going to be great." She reassured him. She wished someone could reassure her right about now, because her own words weren't doing any good for herself. "Let's go." She said while leaning up and brushing her lips against his in a soft, chaste kiss. She grabbed her purse as he led her out the door.

Nathan was currently sitting at the restaurant with the rest of his friends. Everyone was here except Haley and Julian. He wasn't looking forward to tonight at all. This is not how he pictured spending his Saturday night. And to make things even worse was that he was having a Sunday dinner with his parents and Haley and Julian the next night as well. He just couldn't escape from this anymore. Julian was quickly becoming a permanent part of his life, and he's only been in town for a couple of days now. At that thought, he quickly grabbed for his beer and gulped the entire thing down before ordering another one.

"Are you alright, man?" Clay asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Nathan answered.

"Really? That's your third beer and we haven't even ordered any food yet." Clay commented.

"I'm fine." Nathan shot out in irritation.

"Dude, relax." Clay laughed holding up his hands in mock surrender while Nathan rolled his eyes. "Maybe you do need that third beer." Clay muttered under his breath but loud enough for Nathan to hear.

Nathan kept his mouth shut as he heard Clay jump into a conversation with Lucas and Jake. He was glad for that, because if Clay said one more word, he would have probably decked him. He just wanted this night to be over and done with. And if having Clay and his annoying voice irritating him wasn't enough, he had Brooke and Peyton who was sitting catycorner to him gushing about Julian. What could they possibly have to say about the guy right now? They've never even met him. At most, they've probably seen a picture of him. So, the guy's good-looking. What's the big deal? He wanted to scream at that high-pitched squeal thing Brooke has going on right now. If she were a guy and not a close friend of his, he probably would have decked her by now right along with Clay.

_Where the hell are Haley and Julian?_ He couldn't help but wonder. The sooner they get here, the sooner this God awful night can end. Nathan found himself taking a deep breath. He had to get it together. He couldn't ruin this for Haley. He promised her he was going to make an effort no matter how much it killed him. She didn't deserve any kind of uncalled for misbehavior from him tonight. She deserved to celebrate her happiness with her friends.

"Oh, they're here!" He heard the Brooke's annoying voice exclaimed causing him to cringe first slightly before turning his attention towards the doorway. He had to remember to breathe once he saw Haley. She took his breath away. She looked stunning, and what was really amazing was how it didn't even look like she was trying. They made their way towards the table. Reality set back in when Nathan noticed she was holding Julian's hand while leading him through the other tables. He closed his eyes for just a brief moment before opening them again. His eyes immediately found hers as she sent him a soft, small smile. He found himself relaxing under her gaze. She had such a calming effect on him, but the nerves and his feelings were still there underneath it all.

He watched as she introduced everyone to Julian and vice versa. Everyone was standing up greeting Julian as if he was an old friend as Haley took the opportunity to sneak over his way until finally she was standing in front of him. She leaned into him and gave him a gentle hug which he reciprocated. "You look amazing, Hales." He whispered into her ear.

Haley blushed slightly as she felt butterflies stirring in her stomach. How did he have such a great affect on her? All he had to do was say one little word, and she felt herself melting. It was a wonderful yet horrible feeling. She wondered if he would always have this hold over her. She didn't want that-especially now that she was moving on with her life. A life that was separate from him.

"You look very handsome." She returned the compliment. And he did. He had on a light blue button-down shirt with some black trouser pants. She loved when he wore blue. It made his ocean blue eyes pop. She used to tell him all the time that blue was her favorite color on him. She wondered if he remembered and wore that shirt on purpose just for her. That thought sent tingles down her spine. But just as quickly as that thought occured, she silently reprimended herself for thinking it. She broke out of their embrace and found Julian at her side once again. "Julian, you remember Nathan, right?" She asked.

"Of course. Hey, Nathan. It's good to see you again." Julian said politely while extending his right hand out to him.

"Hey, Julian. It's good seeing you again, too." Nathan accepted the handshake graciously.

Everyone sat down once again. Haley sat across from Nathan with Julian to her left and Peyton to her right. Jake was sitting next to Peyton while Brooke was sitting across from him with Lucas in between her and Nathan. To Nathan's right sat Clay and his "date" for the night. Next to Julian sat Mouth and his girlfriend, Millie.

_This is just the beginning._ Both Nathan and Haley thought.

Dinner was going pretty smoothly. Everyone was pretty much doing the Q & A thing right now. Julian was trying to get to know everyone else while they were doing the same with him. Nathan pretty much stayed silent throughout the night which didn't go unnoticed by Haley. He wasn't being rude or dismissive or anything like that. He was just quiet. He answered any questions that came his way, but he didn't really offer up any questions of his own. There was so much he wanted to know but so much he didn't care to know.

Seeing Julian and Haley together tonight was really different than how they were together the first time they met at his parent's house. Haley seemed more relaxed with him tonight. She was more touchy with him tonight-always brushing her hands up against his arm or shoulder and giving him a kiss on his cheek every now and then. She actually looked happy. As horrible as this is going to sound, it crushed Nathan. Another pain shot through his heart as he watched Haley lean in and brush her lips against Julian's in a chaste kiss.

"So, Julian, have you found a job yet?" He asked.

"Not yet. I do have an interview for H & H Enterprises, though, on Monday." Julian answered somewhat surprised that Nathan was actually participating in the conversation. He didn't know for sure, but he felt a tension radiating off of Nathan. He's been quiet all night, but according to Haley, he's very talkative. Maybe it's just because we still don't know one another yet. Julian thought. But he also could have sworn he's seen the guy giving him some glares throughout dinner. But then again, maybe he was just imagining it.

"For what position?" Nathan asked.

"It's for a Marketing Editor." Julian once again answered.

"Really? Any other options? Journalism isn't a very demanding field right now, and all you've got so far is one interview. I mean, what are the chances that you'll even get hired?" Nathan said capturing everyone's attention and effectively silencing them in the process.

"Nathan!" Haley reprimended. She couldn't believe he had just said that.

"What? I'm just trying to help by informing him there's not a lot of jobs out there right now." Nathan defended himself.

"Well, he's only been in town for a couple of days. What do you expect-magic to happen?" She bit out.

"It's okay." Julian intervened. "I get it. I'm still looking around. I'm not getting my hopes up or anything with this job, but I do feel like I have a pretty decent chance." He continued.

"You do. You're amazing at what you do, and don't let anyone..." She emphasized glancing momentarily towards Nathan before turning back towards Julian. "Tell you any different." She finished.

"Thanks, Hales." Julian said in appreciation.

Nathan cringed when he said 'Hales'. That's his nickname for Haley, and who did this guy think he was to just come in here out of nowhere and start using it. He was in the middle of glaring at the happy couple across from him who were too busy paying attention to each other to notice when the annoying voice of Brooke Davis sounded.

"Julian, Haley's ring is gorgeous!" She gushed trying to alleviate some of the newfound tension at the table. She didn't know why she was doing it. She lived for the drama-especially the new level of drama that seems to be occurring between Nathan and Haley of late. But she took one look at Haley's face and she couldn't help but try to help her.

"Oh, thanks. I was ring shopping and saw this one and instantly thought of her." Julian said sharing a small smile with his fiance.

Nathan once again captured the group's attention as he let out a slight chuckle. He looked around and noticed everyone staring at him either intrigued or nervous by what was about to go down. He glanced in front of him until he locked eyes with Julian's challenging eyes which were daring him to explain himself this time. "That ring reminded you of Haley, huh?" He began.

"Nathan, please stop." Haley begged quietly but it didn't seem to phase him one bit as he quickly continued.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help but find that funny. You do know that isn't Haley's dream ring, don't you?" He questioned and smirked when he noticed the slight drop in Julian's face as confusion seemed to settle in. "It's not. Ever since she was a little girl, she has always wanted an engagement ring that was the exact replica of her mother's ring. I would think as her fiance, you would have known that." He said smugly.

Julian felt his face flush with embarrassment as he looked over to Haley who was closing her eyes. She opened them and caught his gaze. He could see the embarrassment and sorrow within her eyes as well. "Haley, is that true?" He asked.

"Julian, it doesn't matter." She said avoiding the question which only affirmed his answer.

"It does matter. Why didn't you ever tell me about wanting a ring like your mother's?" He asked with a tone of disappointment.

"I didn't think it would matter. And it doesn't. I love my ring! It's beautiful, Julian." She tried reassuring him but could tell it wasn't really doing any good.

Nathan couldn't help but smirk satisfactorly as he watched the doubt and embarrassment creep further into Julian's face. That was until he looked over and saw the look Haley was giving him. She looked absolutely crushed and angry all mixed in one. The guilt immediately started to kick in. What the hell was all of that about anyway? He asked himself taking a moment to realize what he had just done. He sent her an apologetical look which didn't seem to help one bit as she turned away from him abruptly.

"I can get you a new ring." Julian offered up quietly.

Nathan was surprised once again when he actually felt even more guilty. He looked around the table and noticed everyone staring at him. Brooke and Peyton were practically giving him a death glare.

"I don't want a new ring. I don't care about having a ring like my mother's anymore. I don't. You know what I love the most about this ring?" She began as she waited for him to look at her. "I love that you picked it out. And I love that you took one look at it and thought of me." She said sweetly. Julian nodded accepting her answer as the truth and leaned in to give her a quick kiss.

The rest of dinner seemed to go by quickly yet awkwardly. The group was relatively quiet-sticking to topics which wouldn't cause any more tension. Nathan once again sat in his seat quietly. He was nursing his fifth beer for the night and starting to feel just the slightest buzz. He wasn't drunk. He could hold his liquor and five beers wasn't nearly enough for him to reach the intoxicated level. But the buzz he had going was just right in alleviating the tension he was feeling at the current moment. He was more than ready for this night to come to an end.

He looked up and watched Haley for just a few minutes. She was currently indulged in an animated conversation with Peyton. She looked like she was okay and had moved on from what happened earlier but she hadn't. She wouldn't even look at him. That pained him more than anything. He felt bad-he really did. He just couldn't stop himself. He wanted to stick it to Julian. He wanted to cause a rift in Julian and Haley's relationship. That probably made him sound like a horrible person. And at the moment, it probably was true. He just didn't know how else to explain his behavior. It was hard, because he didn't give a damn about Julian but cared deeply for and loved Haley. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever be okay with this. Would he ever be able to accept Haley and Julian's relationship? He wasn't so sure. That thought really terrified him.

Minutes passed as he remained locked in his thoughts. He looked around and spotted Lucas and Brooke as well as Jake and Peyton on the dancefloor. Clay's date, Alex (he thinks that's her name-he wasn't really paying attention) and Millie were engaged in a conversation while Mouth, Clay, and Julian were engaged in a different conversation. He wondered where Haley was until he spotted her coming out of the bathroom. He took a quick drink before standing and quickly making his way over to her. Finally reaching her, his heart broke even more at the look she was giving him.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly yet sadly.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"I'm not really the one you should be apologizing to." She informed him with no waver in her voice.

"I know, and I will. I just...I'm sorry, Haley. I really didn't intend to ruin this night for you." He offered lamely.

"You didn't." She said as he looked at her somewhat confused. "You were a complete asshole tonight, and I was so hurt and disappointed in you. But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of allowing you to ruin my night." She explained.

"Satisfaction? Do you really think I'm satisfied with myself for my behavior?" He retorted feeling his defenses kicking in.

"Aren't you?" She challenged.

"No, I'm not. I am sorry." He apologized again in a softer tone.

"Whatever. It is what it is, right? Why should I expect anymore from you at this point? It's not like you haven't let me down in the past, right?" She said.

"That's not fair." He countered.

"Well, life's not fair. You weren't fair to Julian or to me tonight so excuse me for not exactly caring about what you find fair or not at the moment." She said not backing down.

Nathan opened his mouth to say something but she quickly continued. "Do me favor, Nathan. Until you apologize, and I mean sincerely apologize, to Julian...leave me the hell alone!" She exclaimed before walking around him and leaving him to stand there. He turned and watched her retreating form. He watched as she plopped herself in her seat and cuddled into Julian's side. A couple months ago, that was them. He couldn't help but think. Not wanting to stay there any longer, he rushed out of the restaurant. He was over this night.

Haley watched Nathan leave out of the corner of her eye. She felt a pain shoot through her body at that. She felt so hurt and disappointed right now. She felt defeated. She couldn't believe the way he acted earlier. It was completely uncalled for. Julian didn't deserve that at all. And she didn't deserve that. Nathan promised her he was going to make an effort. And he promised her he wasn't going to cause a scene or anything like that. He broke his promise. She didn't know why she was so surprised honestly. It's not like he hasn't broken any other promises to her.

After seeing Nathan for the first time tonight, she actually felt at ease. The nerves she were feeling earlier had disapated slightly. He calmed her. He was the only who had that effect on her just by being in her presense. She was grateful for that earlier. But she needed it during dinner, and she needed it right now. She needed him. But at the same time, she didn't want to be anywhere near him.

* * *

><p>"What's going on with you today?" Dan questioned his son. Deb was in the kitchen slaving away for dinner while the two of them sat in the living room playing a little NBA Live. He noticed Nathan's somber mood when he first walked through the door. He didn't think too much of it at first, but now, his somber mood was turning into more of an attitude.<p>

"Nothing." Nathan replied shortly.

"Nothing. So, is nothing the reason why you have such an attitude right now?" Dan countered.

"Dad, there's nothing wrong. I'm just tired and want to get this night over with so I can go home and sleep." Nathan answered unconvincingly.

"Your attitude isn't because of a certain person coming to dinner tonight, is it?" Dan pushed and knew his answer when his son's entire body seemed to stiffen slightly. But Nathan never said anything to actually confirm. "I guess, Julian's here for good now. Man, pretty soon the wedding's going to be here. And then come the children." He continued knowing he was pushing Nathan's buttons. He wasn't doing it to upset him. He was doing it to try to evoke some real emotion out of him. Nathan holds so much inside, and he's never going to move one with his life and be happy if he didn't finally let it all out.

He smirked when he noticed Nathan staring straight ahead as if in a trance. But his jaw was locked. Yup, he was getting there. Dan just didn't know how much further he had to go. "What do you think they'll have first? A boy or a girl? Honestly, I see Haley having a little girl first. She'll have Haley's big, brown eyes. She'll probably be a complete mixture between Haley and Julian. And if they have a bo..."

"Stop it!" Nathan yelled not being able to listen to his father any longer. What the hell was he doing? Did he honestly think this was something he wanted to hear? Well, he didn't. He didn't want any part of this conversation. He didn't want to talk about Haley's wedding. And he sure as hell didn't want to talk about Haley having children with Julian.

Dan, however, was ecstatic for Nathan's tiny outburst. He knew what his son was holding in. And he wanted him to finally admit to it. After all these years, it was time to let it all out. "What's wrong, Nathan?" He tried again in a calmer tone.

"Noth..."

"Don't you dare say nothing." Dan warned effectively cutting his son off. "Nathan, what are you so scared of? Why are you so scared of the truth? You are never going to get what you want if you don't start fighting for it."

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked playing dumb.

"Don't give me that. You know what I'm talking about." Dan said but before Nathan could give a response, they heard the front door in the foyer opening and Haley's voice yelling out a 'hello'. The two guys stood up so they could greet Haley and Julian. But before walking completely out of the living room, Dan turned around and placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Don't stand in the background and watch her walk away. She's worth fighting for." He said leaving his son with that final thought.

Nathan stood in the doorway collecting his thoughts. He could pretend to not know who or what his father was talking about, but he couldn't. It's always been at the fore front of his mind. He couldn't escape. She consumed every part of him. He fell asleep dreaming about her. He woke up thinking about her. He went through the day daydreaming about her. She was this plague who constantly haunted him. But the thing was that he didn't want to escape her. She was his everything. She was the most important person in his life. He loved her more than anyone else in this world. And he knew, the real reason why he left for the marines. But he's never admitted it to anyone else.

His thoughts were broken as he watched her and Julian flutter into the living room. She was beautiful. But of course, when wasn't she? He's seen her in her worst, and she was still beautiful. Tonight...she was wearing a teal blue lacy cami with a black cardigan sweater thrown over it and a pair of dark denim jeans. Her hair was thrown up in a messy yet stylish bun. She had on a pair of teal blue hoop earrings and a matching teal blue bracelet on her left wrist. She, of course, had on her engagement ring. His eyes traveled to her other hand and sure enough, there sat the ring he gave her a Christmas. He smirked ever so slightly. Things may be tense and strained between them right now, but that small gesture made everything so much better.

He looked up and caught her gaze. Time seemed to stand still for a fleeting moment as they stared at one another. But all of a sudden, she broke the contact and looked away. It hurt him. It hurt him even more knowing it was his own fault. She was right the night before. Julian didn't deserve that kind of treatment from him. He didn't even know the guy. He and Haley never talked about him. All he basically knew was that they were engaged. Julian was the guy who was essentially stealing Haley away from him. That's who he was to Nathan, and it was hard to get passed that. But he had to try. He knew he had to apologize to him. And then, he had to apologize to Haley. He just hoped she would forgive him.

After everyone greeted one another, Deb retreated back to the kitchen for the finishing touches on dinner. Dan went to grab Julian and Haley a drink which left Nathan, Haley, and Julian all together alone. To say it was awkward would be an understatement. Nathan knew he had to make the first move. "Julian, I wanted to apologize to you about the other night. My comments were completely uncalled for, and I'm really sorry." He apologized.

"It's okay. Look, Nathan, Haley's told me a lot about you. She loves you, and I know you guys are best friends. I get it that you are just trying to protect her and look out for her. And I know you only want the best for her. I appreciate that. But I do love her, and I will do everything in my power to provide for her and make her happy for the rest of our lives." Julian replied.

"That's all I want for her." Nathan said in response to Julian's reply but was looking at Haley who smiled hesitantly but gratefully at him.

"It's good to know that Haley has such wonderful people who care about her so much in her life." Julian said stretching his hand out towards Nathan in a truce which Nathan accepted.

Dinner went by smoothly. There was a little bit of awkwardness, but for the most part, it went great. Deb fired away question after question while Dan, Nathan, and Haley let her. So far, they hadn't talked about the wedding or Haley and Julian's relationship. The questions were basically revolving around Julian and his own personal life. Nathan was thankful for that, but he knew the other questions were going to pop up soon. He's been fighting this inner battle with himself since the previous night. He couldn't turn this into another last night. He wouldn't. He could tell Haley was thinking the same things. She was nervous. He saw it written all over her face and through her body language.

Once dinner was done, Deb ushered everyone into the family room to get more comfy. And of course, that's when the wedding talk began. "So, now that you are officially moved here, any more plans for the wedding?" Deb asked.

"We've definitely been talking about it." Julian answered.

Nathan could see how well Julian fit in with their friends and their family. He hated that. It would be much easier if they all hated him. But last night, he easily just flowed into the conversations as if he's always been there. And now, he's doing the same with his parents. Nathan could tell how much his mom loved him. Heck, he could tell that Dan really liked the guy. He was easy to like. And being completely honest with himself, deep down Nathan could admit that he even somewhat liked the guy.

"We talked about it last night. And I think we've set a date." Julian continued.

"Yah! When?" Deb asked in excitement.

"May twenty-third." Julian answered.

"Of this year?" Dan questioned.

"Yes." Haley answered while glancing over to Nathan who seemed to be in a bit of shock.

"That's in four months. Are you guys sure about that?" Dan asked.

"Yes, we want to get married. Why wait?" Haley said.

"If that's what you want, that's great. I just...is four months even enough time to plan for a wedding?" Dan asked while momentarily glancing over towards his son who hadn't spoken or moved an inch since that little tidbit was revealed.

"Of course, it is!" Deb jumped in. "That just means that Haley and I have a ton of stuff to get together, and we have to get started on it right away! Like now." She continued as Julian and Haley let out a small laugh at her excitement.

Nathan sat there almost paralyzed. Four months? In four months, Haley was getting married? He knew it was real before, but now, it was actually real. Julian was here. A date had been set. Soon, his dad would be walking Haley down the aisle. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be getting married. Just a few days ago, Haley seemed almost unsure about getting married. But now all of a sudden, she was fine and ready to plan.

"Nathan!" His mother's voice snapped him out of his thoughts causing him to look up to her. "Are you okay? You've barely said anything all night." She said.

"I, umm, I..." He paused to take a glance at Haley who was staring right back at him. "I need to get another drink. I'll be right back." He rushed out as he stood up and quickly left the room.

Entering the kitchen, he placed his hands on the marble countertop while closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath.

"Hey." Her quiet, timid voice sounded. He turned around and saw her standing in front of him. "Are you okay?" She asked nervously.

"I'm fine, Haley." He answered.

"You just seemed a little...I don't know, upset?" She struggled finding the right word.

"I'm surprised, I guess." He admitted slightly.

"It all happened so fast. After we got home last night, we started talking about the wedding and decided the first step was setting a date." She said.

"Four months is pretty sudden, Hales. Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's time to move forward, right?" She said looking straight into his eyes.

"Yes, it's time to move forward." He agreed as an uncomfortable silence surrounded them. "If this is what you want, then I'm happy for you, Hales. I mean that." He said. And he did mean it, but he also knew he was lying to her and himself at the same time. It all sounded like such a contradiction in his head.

"Thank you for apologizing to Julian. I know it meant a lot to him. And it meant a lot to me, too." She said.

"It was necessary. I am sorry for the way I treated both you and Julian last night. Neither of you deserved that, and it wasn't fair of me to try to start a rift in your relationship like that." He said.

"Why did you?" She asked catching him a little off gaurd. "What was last night even about?" She questioned further.

"I don't know." He semi-lied. He watched as she shook her head slightly and cast a glance downwards before looking back up to him once again. "I get it." She said calmly which confused him, but before he could ask her what she meant she began talking again. "There's another reason why I wanted to talk to you. And I wanted to do this with just the two of us."

"Okay, what is it?" He asked.

"You're my best friend, Nathan. This is going to sound really weird and awkward at first, but please let me explain further before you start going crazy." She said with a slight laugh as he nodded anxiously encouraging her to continue. "Aside from the groom, the most important person to the bride-at least to me-is my maid of honor, and I..."

"What are you saying, because I'm certainly not..."

"Nathan, stop! I told you to let me finish!" She scolded. He held up his hands in defense and shut his mouth to allow her to continue. "You're my best friend. You're the person I want to be standing up there with me while I take this next step in my life. There's nobody else I want or need more than you. And yes, it sounds weird. But I would like it to be you who is standing next to me at the alter. You don't have to have the title as the maid of honor. I can figure out something else to substitute it with, but it's you I want. It's you I'm asking. Please, Nathan." She said.

A couple minutes passed between them as Nathan continued to think about everything Haley had just said and what she was asking him to do. He watched as she continually bit on her bottom lip waiting impatiently for an answer. "I'm not wearing a dress." He joked seriously as they both started laughing.

"I would never ask you to or make you wear a dress." She said throwing her arms around his neck. He quickly responded and wrapped his arms around her waist. This always felt so right-having her in his arms like this. What happened the night before was gone, and they were back to being them. For how long? He didn't know, but he wasn't going to spend too much time worrying about that right now. "Thank you, Nathan. Thank you for always being here for me and for standing up with me." She said.

"I'm only returning the favor. You've always been there for me as well. It goes both ways." He responded. They broke apart after a few more seconds and shared a soft smile. "We should probably get back out there. I'm sure my mom is bombarding Julian with wedding details." He said as she nodded. She looped her arm through his, and he led her out of the kitchen and back into the family room. They walked in and sure enough, Deb had wedding magazines and books spread out all over the coffee table. She was rambling on and on about churches and reception halls and all sorts of other spots they could have it.

Nathan reluctantly let go of Haley's arm and took a seat in the recliner as Haley resumed her seat next to Julian. "Is Deb turning all 'mother of the bridezilla' on us?" She joked.

"Hey!" Deb exclaimed as everyone started laughing. "I'm not that bad, am I?" She pouted turning towards some rescuing from her husband.

"Oh no. You're not bad at all." Dan lied placating his wife who saw straight through him and shook her head in amusement. She turned back towards Haley and Julian deciding to ignore the comments. "So, have you guys given any thoughts to what your colors are going to be?" She asked.

"I want something really elegant but contemporary. I was thinking like black, white, and red as the colors. I want red roses roses and white lillies all over the place. And there has to be tons of candles. I don't want a lot of lighting from fixtures for the reception. I just want candles. I think that will provide a pretty elegant setting." Haley said.

Nathan watched her and couldn't help but smile. She was smiling as she went into details about everything. This was the old Haley. This was the Haley who used to talk about her dream wedding all of the time. She sincerely looked happy. And she was absolutely glowing.

"And, I want my bridesmaids to wear red dresses while the groomsmen wear black tuxedos with red vests and ties. I want the girls to have white roses as their bouquets while mine, I want red roses." Haley continued.

"That will be really beautiful. The transitions of colors-you wearing white with red while the girls are wearing red with white. Absolutely beautiful." Deb gushed.

"I think so." Haley said proudly with that same glow to her.

"So, what about the wedding party? Who all do you want to be your bridesmaids?" Deb asked.

"Well, Nathan..." Haley began glancing towards him, "is going to be my maid of honor."

"But we're not calling it that." Nathan warned.

"No, we aren't calling it that. We will figure something else out. But other than him, I was thinking my roomate from college. You guys remember, don't you?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, she had dark hair, right? Her name was Mia." Dan said in rememberance.

"Yup! That's her. Mia Catalono. And I was thinking about asking Brooke and Peyton. We've gotten really close the past few months, and I know we're just going to get closer." She continued.

"And what about Quinn?" Deb asked without thinking. Dan and Haley shared a glance with one another. Nathan sat there silently watching the exchange between them. He was confused. Who was Quinn, and what was with that look? He looked over to Julian who seemed to know something as well. "Who's Quinn?" He asked.

"Oh, she...umm, I'm sorry, Haley." Deb said apologetically when she realized what she did.

"Who's Quinn?" Nathan asked more sternly. He felt completely out of the loop, and he wanted to know what the hell was going on and what they were all talking about. He watched as Dan, Deb, and Haley all seemed to dart their eyes between one another. "What am I missing?" He asked impatiently.

Haley looked to Dan for some final reassurance before looking over to Nathan. "Quinn is my sister. Well, she's my half-sister." She revealed.

"What? Since when do you have a sister?" Nathan asked.

"Apparently, my father 'knocked up' one of his many one-nightstands he had after my mom died. Quinn's only a year younger than me." She answered.

"I don't get it. I mean, I get it but...when did you find this out? How did you find this out?" He asked.

"My sophomore year at Stanford had just ended when I received a surprise visitor." She began.

"Quinn?" He questioned.

"No. Actually...it was my dad." She revealed hesitantly.

"What?" He exclaimed. "What the hell was he doing there? When did he get out of jail? How did he find you?" He started rattling off questions. He was angry. One mention of that jackass coming within fifty miles of her had his blood boiling.

"He was paroled early, I guess. For good behavior." She laughed sardonically.

"Where is he now?" He asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. And I don't want to know." She replied.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" He asked. He couldn't believe nobody told him about her father and her supposed sister. All this time, and he knew nothing about what happened. That thought made him really angry. Who was the one who found her? He was. Who was the one who held her in the middle of the night when she cried? He was. Who did she confide in the most? Him. And now he's the last one to know anything-even after Julian apparently.

"Nathan, I..."

"You should have told me. I had a right to know." He said with a tone full of anger, hurt, and confusion all mixed together. Before anyone else could say anything, he was already rushing out of the family room. The other four stayed seated but jumped slightly at the sound of the back door slamming shut.

Haley jumped up to go after him, but Dan quickly stopped her. "Let me go first, okay. I promise I'll let you explain everything else, but I think I should go talk to him first." He told her. She said nothing but nodded hesitantly. She did nothing but watch him walk away. Once he was out of their sight completely, she sat back down next to Julian. To try to ease some of the tension, Deb and Julian went back to discussing wedding details while Haley just sat there quietly.

Dan opened the back door and found Nathan sitting on one of the lawn chairs. He eased his way over there and took a seat in the open one next to him. "You want to talk about it?" He asked.

"I had the right to know he was out and found her. You don't know what it was like for me to walk into that room and see what he was doing to her. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I probably would have killed him. I already hated the guy for how he was treating her from the things she used to tell me, but then that happened. I hate him. How could they let a guy like that back out on the streets? And why didn't anyone inform her or any of us that he was let out?" Nathan said.

"I don't know. Believe me, the justice department heard a few choice words from me about those very same questions." Dan said.

"Did I ever tell you that she used to sneak into my room at night?" Nathan asked as Dan shook his head no but kept quiet. He knew his son needed to get all of this off his chest. "She would have nightmares about what happened and wake up crying and in a panic. So, she came and slept in my bedroom every night. She did it during the nights she stayed with us before going to CPS. And she did it every night for two weeks after you and mom got custody. I couldn't do anything to help her. I didn't know what to say to her, because how do you make that kind of pain go away. We were so young. And even as we got older, there were times when she broke down about it. She told me that she didn't need to hear any words coming from my mouth to comfort her. All she needed was for me to hold her. She said that was the best, most theraputic thing for her. So that's what I did." He said.

Nathan stopped talking and everything was silent for just a couple minutes. He took a deep breath before continuing on. "I want to find him right now and hurt him. I want to make him pay for everything he ever did to her. I'm so angry right now."

"Nathan, that's not going to solve anything." Dan jumped in.

"I know it won't. And I won't go looking for him, I promise. But if I ever see him again, I won't make any promises about what I'll do." Nathan admitted as his father nodded in understanding. "Why wouldn't she tell me?" He asked.

"She wanted to, Nate." Dan said.

"She could have, and she should have." Nathan countered.

"Your mother and I convinced her not to say anything to you." Dan revealed carefully.

"What? Why would you do that?" Nathan asked angrily.

"For so many reasons. One being that we didn't know where you were located. And you would have wanted to come home, but we knew you probably wouldn't be allowed to leave. We didn't want you to have any of this on your mind and cause you to worry day in and day out. And knowing you, you probably would have disregarded orders and left anyway. That's called being awol which would have just created more problems. And another reason was that Haley needed to face this on her own. She can't always depend on you for everything bad that happens in her life. It's great that she has you, but she needed to find the strength to get through it without you." Dan explained.

Nathan stared straight ahead trying to process everything. In a way, he understood exactly where his parents were coming from. But at the same time, he still felt like he deserved the truth.

"We are really sorry for not telling you. And we should have at least come clean with you later on. That wasn't fair, and you are right when saying you had a right to know. Things were just so complicated back then. And that's not even half of it." Dan said.

"What else happened?" Nathan asked alarmed.

"There's some other things, but I'm going to let Haley be the one to tell you. She was ready to follow you out here when I stopped her. I think you and I needed to have a little chat. I needed you to calm down first before you and Haley talked about everything. So, are you calm?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, I'm calm. Thanks, dad." Nathan said sincerely. Dan nodded and stood up and walked back towards the house.

Nathan took a deep breath as he stared straight ahead. His parents house was located just a few miles from the strip. You could see the bright lights from the backyard. He always loved this sight. This was where he went when he needed to think or calm down or whatever. It was a great escape without having to actually go somewhere. He spent many nights out here when he was a senior in high school.

He heard the backdoor opening and closing and listened as she shuffled over to him. It didn't take long before she was standing in front of him. "Hey." She said quietly and nervously.

"Hey." He returned.

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" She asked. He nodded and stood up as the two of them walked down the stairs and off the deck. They walked the first five minutes in complete silence. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I'm sorry that I never told you about my dad visiting me." She apologized.

"It's okay. I just...I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could have been there to protect you." He said.

"If it makes you feel any better, I really wanted you there with me." She said.

"My dad told me that. So, what happened?" He asked.

"It was just a normal day. I was in my final week of classes before finishing my sophomore year. I was supposed to go meet with Julian to study for our finals. I was getting ready when I heard a knock at the door. I opened it thinking maybe Mia forgot her key or something. I opened the door and there he was. He looked different but very similar. I swear I must have looked like I had seen a ghost or something. I was speechless, and I couldn't move. It was as if I was paralyzed. There were so many things running through my mind. I didn't know what he was doing there or how he found me. And I didn't know what was going to happen. He looks at me and says 'Hi, Haley'. And he said it in such a calm way. It was as if everything that had happened in the past never happened. And then, he asked me if he could come in." She said.

"You didn't let him, did you?" He questioned.

"No, I didn't. I told him no and that I had nothing to say to him. And then, I asked him to leave. He didn't. He said he wanted to apologize to me for what happened. He said and I quote, 'You know, for what I did.' He couldn't even say the words. And his tone was anything but apologetic. He had this smirk on his face. He then said, 'You've grown up. You look even more like your mother than you did before.' That was when I snapped. I lost it. I just started going off on him, and I don't even remember what I said. By the time I was finished, I was pretty much crying hysterically. And throughout my whole rant, he didn't even blink an eye. None of my words or tears affected him at all. And after I was finished, all he said was, 'It's in the past-time to get over it.' I looked at him one final time and slammed the door shut and locked it. I slid to the floor and just cried." She said and immediately felt Nathan reaching down and enclosing her left hand within his right hand.

"I wish I would have been there." He said quietly.

"I don't know how long I sat there. It was until I heard keys in the lock that I seemed to snap back into reality and what had just happened. Then, my roomate walked in and saw me. She didn't really know what to do. All I said was 'Nathan'. And the next thing I knew was that I was talking to your dad about everything." She said.

"I'm so sorry, Hales. I could kill that guy." He said angrily.

"I wanted you with me, and I just laid in bed crying because you weren't there." She admitted. "And I'm not saying that to make you feel bad for not being there. It's just, you were always the person I went to. And all those years later, I still wanted you. But your parents refused to call you, and they were right. I did need to do this without you. But it took me awhile to realize that. There were some things I had to overcome before I admitted that." She continued.

"Yeah, my dad mentioned something about that. He didn't tell me anything more. He just said there were things you needed to talk to me about. What else happened, Hales? And how did you meet Quinn?" He asked. He watched as she took a deep breath before opening her mouth to continue on.

"I was so angry with your parents. I really needed you, and I didn't know how to contact you. I heard that your location had been moved, and they wouldn't tell me anything. I know they didn't know where you were, but they at least knew who to contact to get a message to you. I shut down. I wouldn't talk to them, and I barely said more than two words to Mia. I started drinking. And I don't mean just a little bit here or there. I started drinking all day everyday. Both Mia and Julian tried to help me, but I refused to listen. Months went by and before I knew it, my junior year was beginning soon. And finally, Mia had enough and called your parents. And the next thing that was happening was I was going to AA meetings and seeing a therapist once again." She explained.

"That explains why my dad was so freaked out when you were drinking." He said in understanding.

"He talked to you about that?" She questioned.

"He just asked me to watch out for you, and to make sure you aren't excessively drinking. I was confused, but now I get it." He clearified. He stopped walking causing her to stop as well and turned towards her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. I'm sorry I wasn't there." He began.

"Nathan, it's okay. I under..."

"No, please let me say this." He interrupted as she nodded and waited for him to continue. "I want you to know that no matter what was going on between us, I would have been there in a heartbeat. I don't care what it would haven taken. And I am sorry I wasn't there. I wish with all of my heart you could have had me to turn to. I never would have let you get to that point. But I do understand that it was something you needed to do on your own. And I'm so glad you got help, because I don't know what I would do without you. Hearing all of this hurts me. It hurts me so much knowing all that you were going through. I hate it. I hate seeing and hearing about you in pain. It hurts more than anything else in this world. I just want you to know that I'm still here for you. If you ever need to talk or feel yourself slipping away, I want you to promise me you'll come to me before getting to that point." He said.

"I promise, Nathan. You have my word that I'll come to you. And I know you would have been there for me, and I love you for that-more than I think you'll ever know." She said. She moved closer towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She just wanted to be even closer to him right now. And she felt her body relaxing completely as his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

They stood there just holding each other for a few minutes before finally pulling apart.

"So, what's the deal with Quinn?" He asked.

"I met Quinn right before I started my junior year. She came to me. She told me that her father-my father-told her about me. He told her how old I was and where I was. I guess, he told her everything about me but never told her what happened. I guess, he's such a loving father to her. He treats her exactly how a father should treat his daughter. After getting over the initial shock of her and that I had a sister, I agreed to meet with her. It became kind of a casual thing. We'd meet up once a month and have lunch. We got to know one another." She said.

"That's good, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was. It was hard at first, because she wanted to talk about our dad. She just talked him up so much. He treated her so differently than he treated me, and not just in the obvious way. He genuinely cares about her and loves her. It was difficult listening to that." She said.

"I'm sorry, Hales." He said sympathetically.

"It's okay. I got over it. I just told myself that going through what I went through made me a stronger person. And Quinn is just such a sweet, great person. She's a photographer-a really amazing photographer. She's funny and quirky like me. And she's stunningly beautiful." She said.

"Like you." He commented and smiled at the blush that crept across her face. "So, you still talk to her?" He asked.

"Yeah. We haven't talked in awhile, though. I've just been so busy with the move and the new job and now with Julian back in town. But I think she's going to come here to visit soon." She revealed.

"That's great. I can't wait to meet her. Are you going to ask her to be a bridesmaid?" He asked.

"Probably not. It's been great getting to know her and everything, but it's not like we're super close or anything. I don't know, we'll see, I guess." She answered.

"Well, you don't have a lot of time. You're getting married in four months." He said as realization set back in.

"Yeah, four months." She said with a little laugh. "Can you believe it?"

"No, I can't." He said seriously as they shared a look.

"We should head back." She said quietly as she turned and headed back towards the house.

Nathan watched her walk away from him. It was becoming a recurring theme for them. And soon enough-too soon-she will be walking away from him for good. Could he live with that? He's been struggling with that question so much, and he still didn't have an answer for it.

**Okay, there you go. Let me know what you guys think. ****I hope to have another chapter up soon! And of course, some more jealous Nathan! :) And there's going to be more Haley, Brooke, & Peyton, too. I just love the three of them on the show. And Quinn & Mia will be making an appearance soon as well. Plus, more flashbacks and stuff! ****Until next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I can't believe it's been over a month-I'M SO SORRY! Please forgive me. I feel like the biggest hypocrite since I'm always saying how I hate when authors don't update their stories regularly. I'm sorry. Anyway, here's another update for you guys. The italicized part in the beginning is a flashback of Nathan in the army. And I also want to apologize for any mistakes within the story-I didn't really proofread through it. I just sort of glanced through it so forgive me.**

**I also want to thank you guys so much for your reviews and story alerts and stuff. They really motivate me to keep writing, and I appreciate them SOOO much! I hope you are continuing to enjoy and follow this story. Feel free to make any kinds of comments-good or bad. Anyway, here's the update...**

_Nathan laid down on his cot to get some much needed rest. He was exhausted-physically, mentally, emotionally. He was just completely exhausted. He was now in Afghanastan. He's been in this location for about a month now. He was so tired from the constant moving from place to place. It's been exactly ten months since he joined the Marines. Ten months since he left Las Vegas. Ten months since he's seen his parents. And ten months since he's seen or spoken to Haley. God, he missed her so much. She's been constantly on his mind. His brain was filled with question after question. "What was she doing?" "Was she in school?" "Was she okay?" "Did she miss him and think about him?" Questions he didn't have answers to. When he wrote to his parents, he never asked about her and they never wrote about her. It seems to be an unspoken understanding between the three of them. But boy did he think about her. He dreamt about her every time he closed his eyes and slept. She's who he thinks about when he's deep in combat. She's actually saved him so many time already. At moments when he thinks about giving up, she's the one who pushes him. He can hear her encouraging words so clearly. "You can do this, Nathan." "I believe in you." "Don't give up." "Just breathe." Her words and the memories he has of the two of them are what has gotten him this far and what's going to get him even further._

_He pulled the picture out of his back pocket so he could look at it. He clutched it tightly in his hands almost afraid of letting it go. Right now, it was his most prized posession. He never went anywhere without it. Before going out into the field for training or for combat, he made sure it was safely tucked away with him. He brushed his fingertips lightly across her face and couldn't help but smile._

_"You having another moment? Do you need us to leave and give you five minutes? Or can you actually last longer than that...like ten minutes?" A voice interrupted his thoughts followed by some laughter._

_He turned his head and noticed Chase and Owen now in the room standing near the door watching him. They were good guys. They all signed into the Marines around the same time and were placed in the same regiment. And they've been together ever since. Nathan was grateful to have met them. They were a great support system to one another and quickly became great friends._

_"I think Nate here can actually surprise us. I bet you he can actually make it all the way to fifteen minutes." Chase said._

_Nathan rolled his eyes and moved into a sitting position on his cot. "It's not like that." He said._

_"Surrrre. There's no need to lie to us, man." Owen said._

_"No kidding. A girl as hot as she is-you definitely don't need to lie to us." Chase added._

_Nathan didn't know if he wanted to strangle them or laugh. They always gave him such a hard time about Haley. Some__times is was funny; other times-like now-it was annoying. "Seriously, guys, we're just friends." He reaffirmed._

_"The other night you weren't." Owen commented under his breath._

_"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked confused._

_"Oh, Haley! Oh, God! Haley!" Chase faked moaned as the two began to laugh hysterically._

_Nathan felt his cheeks heat up in appropriate embarrassment. Surely, they were lying. They had to be. He didn't have those kinds of dreams about her. He lied to himself. "You guys are full of it." He tried to dismiss._

_"Whatever you say, man. Just try to be a little quieter next time-some of us actually want to sleep." Owen joked but was serious at the same time._

_The two guys took a seat on their individual cots for some much needed rest themselves as well. The past ten months have been grueling to say the least. The first few months consisted of their basic training which was definitely tough. All three guys were in great shape before joining but even that didn't prepare them for what they were signing up for. And now actually being in combat, things didn't get any easier._

_"So, my daughter turns four tomorrow." Owen spoke changing the subject._

_"I'm sorry, man." Nathan said sympathetically as Chase offered up his own sympathies. Nathan knew how tough it had to be for Owen to be away from his family. Owen had shown them pictures of his wife and his kids. He has a son who is nine and then his daughter. They sure were adorable and looked so much like him._

_"It's okay. I sent her a letter and hopefully it gets to her by tomorrow. My wife sent me a letter with some new pictures and some drawings that Daisy had drawn. And apparently, Joey is trying out for a summer little league program. I guess, __baseball is his new obsession." Owen said._

_"Baseball? What is wrong with your kid?" Nathan joked as the three of them laughed._

_"Well, hopefully, I can see them again soon." Owen said as the laughter died down and the seriousness came back into play. __It was moments like these that the three guys leaned on each other for some strength. They were all in the same position, __and they all knew how the other was feeling. They understood everything, and that was great to have at times like this. __They didn't need to speak any further words-they got it and understood it. "So, what about you, Nate? What's going on with that 'friend' of yours?" Owen asked changing the heat back to Nathan._

_"I don't know honestly." Nathan said._

_"Still haven't heard from or about her?" Chase questioned as Nathan shook his head no._

_"Well, you know it does work both ways. Maybe if you weren't such a pansy and actually got in touch with her, you would know something." Owen countered._

_"I know, believe me, I know. It's just complicated. The way I left was...it was just all so complicated and confusing. She's probably really upset with me anyway so what's the point of going down that road?" Nathan asked rhetorically. The truth was that he was so angry and upset with himself for what happened before he left. He blamed himself for everything that happened between them that night-for them having sex and for leaving the next morning without even saying goodbye. __He hated himself for it. He still couldn't believe he let it all get out of hand like that. Haley deserved more than that from him, and he failed her. She was probably better off with him gone. It's probably why she has never written him, too. She could have easily gotten his "address" from his parents. So, why wasn't she writing him? Of course, he was being a little hypocritical right now. Just like Owen said, it's not like he's written her or tried to get into contact with her either. Right now, though, it was easier to put the blame on their lack of communication towards her._

_"You know, you never talk about this girl. What's the deal between you two?" Chase inquired. He and Owen were both so curious. Nathan was very tightlipped when it came to Haley. It was very obvious that this girl meant a lot to him. He claims that they're just best friends, but neither Chase nor Owen believed that for a second._

_"She's my best friend. We've known each other since birth practically. I mean, she even moved in with me and my parents when we were eleven." Nathan began._

_"So, she's like a sister to you, then?" Chase asked._

_"No!" Nathan denied almost immediately. "She definitely isn't like a sister to me." He said cringing slightly at that assessment. There was no way he would ever classify Haley like a sister. That seems wrong on so many levels._

_"So, are you actually telling us that you guys lived with each other for what-seven years and never once did anything?" __Chase asked. He didn't believe that at all and neither did Owen._

_Nathan didn't answer the question. Instead, he basically gave away the answer as he looked away to avoid any kind of eye contact with the other two._

_"I knew it-something happened between you two, didn't it?" Chase asked. He was excited-it seemed as if Nathan might actually cave in a little and reveal the story of his "best friend" and himself._

_"We slept together once." Nathan finally vocalized out loud for the first time._

_"Just once?" Chase asked._

_"Yup, just once. It was actually the night before I left for the Marines." Nathan answered._

_"So, was it like a goodbye kind of thing? Did you guys express your love for one another, because it was one of those sad that you're leaving sort of things?" Chase asked._

_"Not exactly." Nathan said vaguely as the two guys urged him to explain further. "She actually didn't know I was leaving."_

_"You never told her. Like at all?" Owen asked._

_Nathan shook his head. "The next morning I left behind a note for her and my parents and left." He said._

_"Dude, that's a little..."_

_"Harsh. Yeah, I know. Thanks for that." Nathan interrupted quietly but with a slight edge._

_"Why don't you just write to her? It's obvious that the two of you have a lot to talk about." Owen suggested._

_"What good would that do at this point? I mean, it's been ten months. I doubt she wants to talk to me." Nathan said._

_"Well, you never know until you try." Owen pointed out._

_Nathan took in his friend's words and really thought about them. Would she want to talk to him? Did she miss him? Did she think about him as much as he thought about her? Did she miss him? He did want to talk to her. He was just scared. __He was afraid of what happens between them now. Their entire relationship changed in that one night, and now, he didn't know what it all meant._

_The truth was that he was feeling things he's never felt before with Haley-actually, with anyone. He didn't know what to make of these emotions. He didn't know what they meant-if they meant anything at all. Everything was all just so very complicated, and he hated that. Things have never been complicated between him and Haley. They were always so in sync with one another. There was a time when they knew each other from the inside out. And there was a time when they never spent longer than six hours apart from one another. And now, it was as if they were strangers. He hated feeling so disconnected from her. He was beginning to realize just how much he needed her in his life. He missed her so much that it actually hurt. He longed for her-to touch her and to talk to her. He just wanted to see her again._

_Before he could continue on with his thoughts, their door swung open and in walked their Lieutenant. "Mail call!" He yelled as he began to pass out mail to the three of them. When a single letter was handed to Nathan, he automatically assumed it was from his parents. Looking at the envelope, he had to do a double take to make sure he read the outside correctly. He clutched the envelope tightly in his hands as he stared down at the handwriting he knew so well and at the name of the person he longed so deeply for._

_"You okay, man?" Owen asked._

_"Yeah, why?" Nathan managed to mumble out quietly._

_"You're hands are shaking." Owen pointed out._

_Nathan immediately shifted his eyes towards his hands and sure enough, they were shaking. He didn't even realize it. He never even felt it. "I'm fine. I just...I, umm..."_

_"You what?" Owen prodded confused by his friend's slightly odd behavior._

_"I got a letter." Nathan said vaguely._

_"Wow! So did I." Chase said sarcastically waving his envelope back and forth up above his head for emphasis. He was just as confused as Owen was at the moment._

_"Who's it from?" Owen asked when Nathan made no move to elaborate._

_"Haley." Nathan answered taking in a sharp breath before finally looking up to the other two._

_"Well, are you going to stare at it all day or are you actually going to read it?" Chase bit out impatiently._

_Nathan slowly nodded his head at them before slipping his fingers underneath the seal and sliding it across the length of the envelope until it was completely open. He pulled out the letter inside and let the envelope fall from his hands. As he unfolded the letter, a bundle of nerves hit him full force. What would she have to say to him? What if she finally wrote him to tell him how much she hated him and was glad he was gone? Dozens of negative thoughts invaded his mind causing him to almost lose whatever guts he had left. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening the letter completely as he began to read her words._

_Dear Nathan,_

_I don't know even know how to really start this letter. I've been going back and forth for the longest time struggling to find the right words. And then I realized, there really aren't any right words right now. It saddens me to even think that considering it's you and me. Words-especially the right words-were never a problem for us. And sometimes, words weren't even needed between us to understand what the other one was feeling or thinking. How did this get so complicated?_

_Anyway, I wanted to write to you to tell you that I've decided to go to Stanford. I leave in like just a few days. I'm so nervous and excited. There are like a million emotions taking over my body right now. I can't actually believe I'm going to college-let alone Stanford! It all seems so sureel sometimes. It hasn't quite hit me yet. I'm sure when I'm all alone for the first time in California, it will finally will. Your parents...well, more like your mom, is more excited than I am I think. She has been running around the past couple of weeks trying to get me everything I could possibly need. And of course, not need. Things have been a little hectic, but good._

_I miss you, Nathan. I think about you everyday. I can't believe it's been ten months. It seems like just yesterday, we were laying in my bed watching movies. But at the same time, it feels like it's been years since I last talked to you or saw you. I wonder what you're doing. I wonder where you are. I wonder if you're safe. I pray for you everyday. I pray that God watches over you and protects you over there. Don't try to be a hero, okay? Don't do anything stupid, because you need to come back to us. Your parents need you to come back. And I need you to come back, too._

_I know there's a lot of unspoken words between us right now, and I know there's a lot we have to talk about...but I want you to know that I'm still here. You will always be my best friend, Nathan. I love you so much and miss you everyday. At the bottom of this letter, I wrote down my new address at Stanford. Maybe you could write me sometime-let me know you're okay. I worry about you constantly, and I really need to know that you're still here with us. And also write just because. I miss you and want to talk to you. I want to know what you're doing and where you are. I want to tell you what's going on in my life. Everything's changing so much, and I just want to talk to you._

_I guess that's all for now. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Love Always,_  
><em>Haley<em>

_Nathan closed his eyes fighting off the tears that threatened to fall. He still couldn't believe she had written him. Even though he would rather hear her voice and actually see her face, just hearing from her in general was everything he wanted and needed at the moment. And knowing that she missed him just as much as he missed her and that she always thinks about him was exactly what he needed at the moment as well. He smiled as he refolded the letter and tucked it away safely with his other belongings. For the first time in ten months, he felt a little content and calm. Hearing from her-knowing that she was okay and pursuing her dreams was enough for him right now. That's exactly what he wanted._

_"Everything okay, man?" Owen asked noticing a slight change in Nathan's mood._

_"Yeah, everything's great. She's going to Stanford." Nathan answered with a smile of his face._

_"Wow. She must be pretty smart, then." Owen stated._

_"Yeah, she's brilliant. I'm happy for her. Stanford is where she deserves and needs to be. I'm glad she decided to go-I knew she just needed an extra push in the right direction." Nathan said._

_"What does that mean?" Owen asked confused._

_"Nothing-it doesn't matter." Nathan dismissed. "Anyway, what did you get? Any pictures?" He asked changing the subject and focussing on something else. Owen handed him some photos that his wife sent of their kids as he sifted through them._

_That night he wrote Haley back. That night jump started their friendship once again as they continued to write back and forth with one another. And after that night, his days and nights away from home and her became just a little bit easier._

Nathan walked through the doors to the banquet hall in search of his best friend. It was Monday night, and everyone was still winding down from the busy, hectic weekend they all had at the casino. First on Friday night, an outbreak of counterfeit bills popped up at all of the tables. After some heavy investigating, they discovered that the ATM money exchangers were making the switch and taking the real cash for themselves. Saturday, the casino held their annual Texas Hold 'Em Match which drew in dozens of guests and news reporters and all of that hupla. Then, Sunday, seemed to be the day when all of the "cheaters" decided to come into town. It was seriously like cheater after cheater. It seemed like a neverending situation. Not to mention, the hotel/casino was also hosting a clown convention. Yes, you got that right-a clown convention which resulted in Haley being swamped with all of those details. By the time Monday rolled around, the whole staff was in dire need of an easy, relaxing day.

Walking through the banquet hall, he instantly smiled when he saw Haley walking down the stairs of the stage. "Well, what brings you by?" She asked with a smile.

"I just wanted to come check and see if you were still around." He answered as they closed some of the space between them. "Have you recovered from all of the craziness?" He asked.

"I think so. Today was definitely what I needed to get everything back on an even slate. You?" She questioned.

"Definitely! I don't think I've really been as happy as I was to see that weekend come to an end." He said as the two let out a small chuckle. "So, are you heading home now?"

"Yeah. Julian and I are going out to dinner tonight. He got that job at H & H Enterprises." She revealed in excitment.

"Wow, that's great. Tell him congratulations for me." He said sincerely.

"I will. Thank you, Nathan." She said as he nodded at her in a form of 'you're welcome'.

"Well, come on. I'll give you a ride home." He offered. She smiled graciously at him as he lead them out of the casino and to his car. "So, how are the wedding plans coming along?" He asked once they were making their way down the strip on route to her apartment.

"Really nicely. I haven't had too many issues yet. To be honest, I think your mom is actually threatening a lot of people just to make sure we don't have any issues." She said laughing.

"Yup, that sounds about right." He stated joining in the laughter. "Have you asked Brooke and Peyton to be a couple of your bridesmaids yet?"

"I have, and they're both really excited about it. I've asked Mia as well. She's coming into town next week, and the four of us and your mom are going to go try on the dresses and everything. I'm so excited to see Mia. I've missed her so much, and I can't wait for you to finally meet her as well. She's such a great girl." She answered.

"Well, I can't wait to meet her either then." He humored her as she playfully shoved him.

"Oh, speaking of that, Quinn is going to be in town this weekend. I called her the other night and asked her if there's any chance she could come visit soon. It just so happens that she was free this weekend. I've decided on not having her in the wedding, but I do want her there. And I would like to tell her the news about the engagement in person." She informed him.

"So, you and Quinn seem to get along pretty well." He stated as she nodded. "That's great, Hales. I'm really happy for you. And I'm proud of you for getting to know her and letting her in considering the circumstances." He praised.

"It's easier. I just had to realize that Quinn doesn't know everything. She doesn't know the circumstances. It's not her fault that our dad treated us so differently. She couldn't control it so I can't blame her for any of it." She explained.

"Have you ever thought about telling her the truth about what your dad did to you?" He questioned softly.

"I've thought about it, but I've decided not to say anything. It's not fair of me to take away her own personal relationship with her dad. I don't want to do that to her. I don't want to ruin their relationship." She answered.

"That's strong and noble of you." He complimented.

"It's just not worth it. Besides, I did have the best dad growing up. So either way, I haven't lost anything." She said as they shared a small smile.

"Well, I can't wait to meet her. When is she arriving? Maybe we could all go out for dinner or something." He suggested.

"On Friday night actually. She's going to stay with me and Julian, and then, she's going to leave on Sunday morning. I was going to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with the three of us on Friday night." She asked.

"Of course. Where at?" He asked.

"Just over at our apartment. Around seven." She answered.

"Okay-sounds like a plan. So, what are your plans for Saturday night?" He asked.

"Actually, Quinn and I are having a little girls night with Brooke, Peyton, and Millie. It's going to be pretty fun." She said trying to contain her excitment.

"Well, you girls be careful. And I don't want any calls at two o'clock in the morning to come pick any of you up." He said sternly yet jokingly.

Before long, the two had pulled up to Haley's apartment building. "Well, thanks for the ride." She said.

"Anytime. I guess, I'll see you tomorrow at work." He said as she nodded. "Well, have fun tonight and again, congratulate Julian for me."

"I will." She responded. She leaned forward and kiss him chastely on the cheek before climbing out of his car and walking away. He waited until she was fully inside before pulling out and setting off in the direction of his own house.

* * *

><p>The week had flown by quickly and before they knew it, it was now Friday night. Nathan took a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door in front of him. He didn't have to wait too long before it swung open, and he was instantly met with Haley's smiling face. He did a quick sweep of her body and definitely noticed how gorgeous she looked tonight. She was wearing a strapless, corset type top. It was black and red with little tidbits of lace sewn throughout it. She had on some dressy, knee-length black shorts. She had the outfit completed with some black heels and her usual normal jewelry. Her hair was down straightened. <em>Why did she always look so amazing?<em> He couldn't help but ask himself.

"Hey!" She greeted in excitement.

"Hi." He returned snapping out of his thoughts. "You look beautiful like always." He commented as they leaned forward to embrace in a warm hug.

"Thank you. I'm so glad you're finally here." She said pulling back. "Come on, Julian and Quinn are waiting inside." She said grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her into the house.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. It definitely eased his nerves. He didn't know why he was nervous-maybe it was just because of meeting this girl who grew up with the life that Haley should have had. Honestly, he was kind of worried that he wouldn't be able to look at this girl without seeing him-the man who caused the most important person in his life the most unbearable pain. What if this girl looked like him? He was kind of afraid of what he might do or say.

His thoughts were interrupted when they arrived in the dining room and noticed Julian walking in from the kitchen. "Hey, Nathan. How are you doing?" Julian asked politely.

"Hey, Julian. I'm good. You?" Nathan returned. He still didn't know how to act around Julian. He's been trying really hard to put whatever feelings he has for the guy aside for Haley, but it was still awkward between them. He could tell Julian was feeling it as well. Oddly, that made him feel better. He wanted to intimidate the guy as much as he could. For two reasons, actually. One, he was protecting Haley. He wanted to show him what would happen if he decided to hurt her. And two, he wasn't really that ready to accept Julian fully into his life or Haley's yet.

"I definitely can't complain." Julian responded.

"Well, congratulations on the job." Nathan offered out.

"Thanks." Julian said in gratitude.

"So, where's Quinn?" Nathan asked turning back towards Haley.

"She's in the bathroom putting some finishing touches on her makeup. She should be out any minute." Haley answered.

"Actually, she's out right now." A voice sounded from behind them causing them to turn and look her way.

Nathan was taken aback for a second by the beautiful girl. He allowed his eyes to roam over her body very quickly and definitely appreciated what he saw. This girl had beautiful brown hair and striking blue eyes. She was stunning. He snapped out of his haze when he heard the sound of his best friend's voice.

"Quinn, I have someone I would like you to meet. This is my very best friend in the whole world, Nathan Scott. Nathan, this is my half-sister, Quinn Fletcher." Haley introduced the two.

"Hi." Quinn greeted with a sultry voice.

"H..hi." Nathan stuttered as he stretched his hand out towards her which she graciously shook.

Haley stood back and watched with rapt attention at the looks her best friend and her sister were giving one another. She felt a feeling in the pit of her stomach, and it wasn't a good kind. Maybe she was just overanalyzing their looks. She told herself. "Well, then..." She jumped in quickly effectively breaking them out of their "trance" with one another. "Dinner is ready. How about we take a seat?" She continued leading them over to the table. Julian and Haley sat on one side while Nathan and Quinn sat across from them.

"So, Haley tells me you're a photographer." Nathan directs towards Quinn once they all started eating.

"Yes, I am. I love it so much! There's nothing better than snapping pictures. It's like you can see the whole world through the lens of a camera. There's so much beauty out there in the world-even in the darkest, scariest places. You just have to find it. And it's easy to capture it on camera." Quinn answered passionately.

Nathan was impressed. He saw the passion and devotion in her eyes and in her voice as she talked about photography. It was clear that this was more than just a hobby for her. She truly loved what she does. That's something not too many people can say in regards to their careers. He admired her for that. "Well, I'd love to see some of your work." He said.

"Oh, you'll have to. In fact, I'm actually opening my own gallery in New York City." She revealed.

"Wow, that's amazing. Why didn't you tell me that." Haley asked. She actually felt a little hurt that Quinn never told her about her plans to open a gallery. She's been in town for about five hours now and couldn't believe Quinn didn't feel the need to share this great news with her.

"Well, I wasn't really planning on saying anything until it was close to being finished. I would love for you to come to the opening of it. All of you." Quinn said emphasizing her "all" while casting a glance Nathan's way as he just smirked in response.

"I'd love to go-just let me know when." Haley said quietly.

"Definitely." Quinn said still looking at Nathan.

Haley started to feel a little disgusted at how brazen Quinn was being. She might as well throw everything off of the table and mount him right now.

"So, Nathan, Haley tells me you work surveillance and security at the casino. That must be pretty risky. It's kind of impressive." Quinn continued.

Haley wanted to roll her eyes. She looked over to Nathan who seemed to be playing up to everything Quinn was feeding him. Such a typical guy. She thought. She also couldn't help but think that maybe Nathan will never change. He was this way in high school. He was this way when she moved back to Las Vegas. And now it seems like he might be going right back to it. Nathan wouldn't change. It's not like he sees Quinn as anything more than just a conquest. _Right?_ She quetioned herself. _What if there is something more there? What if they started dating?_ She couldn't stop all of these questions from invading her mind. All of these thoughts were actually making her sick to her stomach.

"Hales, are you okay?"

Haley looked up when she heard Nathan's voice. She noticed everyone's eyes on her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" She asked.

"You just looked a little pale." He commented.

"You do look a little pale." Julian agreed jumping in. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She reassured them. She smiled at Julian when he enclosed her hand within his.

"So, you guys are getting married in four months." Quinn stated as both Haley and Julian nodded. "That's so crazy! How are all of the wedding plans coming along?" She asked.

"Really good. I'm not stressed yet." Haley joked.

"Have you found a dress?" Quinn asked.

"Not yet. I have an idea in mind of what I want, but I have to look around first. You remember Mia, don't you?" Haley asked as Quinn nodded. "Well, she's coming into town next week, and we're all going to go dress shopping." She said.

"Who are all of your bridesmaids?" Quinn asked.

"Mia, Brooke, and Peyton." Haley answered.

"Those are the two girls we're going out with tomorrow night, right?" Quinn questioned.

"Yeah. You're going to love them. They're so nice and fun. We're going to have a great time tomorrow night." Haley promised.

"Not too much fun." Julian warned jokingly.

A couple hours later, they decided to call it a night. After dinner, the four of them went into the living room to chat a little longer before Nathan announced that Dan had asked him to come into the casino for a late night shift. Quinn, of course, blatantly displayed her disappointment making sure to tell Nathan that they most definitely had to get together the next time she was in town as well.

* * *

><p>It was now Saturday night. Haley, Quinn, Brooke, Peyton, and Millie were all at Marquee Nightclub dancing and drinking the night away. The five girls were having a blast. Quinn fit in quickly with the group of friends. The girls had just finished dancing to a favorite song of theirs and headed towards a booth located close to the bar and plopped down.<p>

"Oh, my feet are killing me!" Haley complained as she slipped her heels off.

"I second that." Peyton said.

"I third." Millie added.

"Oh, you guys are such pansies!" Brooke exclaimed.

"I have to agree with Brooke. You guys just need to suck it up!" Quinn jumped.

"I like you." Brooke said looking towards Quinn. The other three just laughed and playfully rolled their eyes. "So, how long are you in town for?" She asked.

"Just until tomorrow. My plane is leaving at ten in the morning. I'm not too excited about especially after tonight, but I'll just go back to sleep when I get home." Quinn said.

"When do you think you're going to get your gallery opened?" Haley asked.

"I'm hoping in about five months. We've been working really hard to get it opened as quickly as possible. Dad has just been so amazing throughout this whole process." Quinn began and didn't notice the way Haley tensed at the mention of their father. This whole weekend so far, that topic has not come up once. "I didn't have the money with being fresh out of college, and he gave it over to me freely. I couldn't believe it, but I am so grateful for him. I think he's just as excited as I am about this whole thing."

"So, he's definitely going to be there...at your opening, I mean?" Haley stated somewhat shakily which again, Quinn didn't notice. But Peyton definitely did. She cut her eyes over towards Haley and noticed her somewhat tense poster. She knew there was a story behind all of that. Haley was a closed book when it came to her personal life as well as Nathan. She didn't ever talk about her parents, and they knew she lived with Nathan for a long part of her life. But that's about all they knew about her personally. She didn't want to push either of them, but she wished she knew more. She and Haley were quickly becoming great friends, and she wished Haley trusted her enough to open up to her.

"Yeah, he can't wait! You're going to be able to go, aren't you?" Quinn asked.

"I should be able to. I hope so." Haley answered unsurely.

"Fantastic!" Quinn exclaimed. "And please, Haley, you have to bring that boy of yours." She continued.

"Julian?" Haley questioned confused.

"No, silly. Well, of course, bring Julian with you, but I'm talking about Nathan." Quinn clearified.

The mention of Nathan is what really got Brooke's ears perking up. She swiftly shifted her eyes over to Haley and tried to interpret the emotions stretched along her friend's face. Nathan was always a topic of interest to her when it came to anything involving Haley...and now, apparently Quinn.

"Oh, Nathan. You, umm...you want me to bring him. Okay." Haley stammered out.

"Yeah! He's so hot. Oh and did you see the way he was totally flirting with me last night? I can tell he's interested, and I for sure am as well. We could have a lot of fun together...if you know what I mean." Quinn said while playfully winking her eyes at the girls.

"Yeah, he was definitely flirting with you." Haley agreed quietly looking down to the table as both Peyton and Brooke observed her closely.

"I know, right! Too bad he had to work last night, but at least we talked on the phone earlier this morning." Quinn said.

"What? When?" Haley asked panickly.

"Oh, while you were asleep. Your phone was laying on the kitchen counter, and it started ringing when I was finding something to drink. I saw Nathan's name pop up on the caller id and picked it up." Quinn answered.

"You picked up my phone?" Haley questioned slightly incredulously.

"Well, I just wanted to let him know that you were still sleeping. You know, I didn't want him to worry about you or anything." Quinn began.

"I bet you didn't." Peyton mumbled under her breath as she shared a knowing look with Brooke.

"You don't mind, do you?" Quinn asked.

"No, it's okay." Haley said not wanting to start a fight or anything. "So, when were you planning on telling me that Nathan called me? I mean, was it important? Did he want me to call him back?" She asked.

"No, it was none of those. That's why I didn't tell you. It was nothing. And besides, after I picked up, he sort of forgot the reason why he was calling you anyway. We talked for like two hours..."

"That'll be great for her phone bill." Peyton once again mumbled out as Brooke tried desperately hard to hold in her laughter.

"We flirted some more. That boy has some dirty thoughts brewing in his mind." Quinn said with a wink.

"I need a drink. Excuse me." Haley said standing up abruptly and making her way over to the bar.

Peyton and Brooke shared a look with one another as if contemplating whether or not they should go after her. They both decided to give her a few minutes to herself before they went chasing after her. They were in sight of the bar perfectly so they could keep tabs on her.

"So, tell us more about yours and Haley's dad." Brooke prodded.

Peyton was relieved to hear Brooke ask about him. She wanted to herself, but she didn't want to insert herself into Haley's business. But with Brooke asking, she could just sit back and listen. _That's not wrong, is it?_ She questioned herself but decided not to ponder the thought any longer when Quinn began to talk.

"He's the best! He's the most amazing father in the world. He found me when I was twenty years old. I guess, he was in jail for something. I don't know for what, though. All he told me was that it was a misunderstanding and he was wrongly accused of something. But after he got out, he searched for me and found me. And he's been like the single most important person in my life since then. I don't really know about his and Haley's relationship, though. They're not close at all is what I've gathered which I don't understand but whatever. He never even talked about her. I didn't even know about her until like three years ago. He told me that I had a sister, and he told me where she was. I eventually decided to go meet her and here we are!" Quinn explained perkily.

"Your dad was in jail? I wonder what happened." Brooke said.

"I don't know. The whole thing was probably so ridiculous and ludacrous anyway. My dad is amazing, and there's no way he did anything that would warrent jail time. And if he did, he probably had a justified reason." Quinn stated.

"I bet that's why Haley moved in with Nathan's family." Brooke said as Peyton nodded in agreement.

The four girls continued talking when they noticed about fifteen minutes had passed by and Haley still hadn't returned to the table. They quickly looked towards the bar and couldn't find her anywhere. Brooke and Peyton immediately stood up from the table. They told Quinn and Millie to stay at the table in case she came back and the two girls took off. The club was packed, and they found it very difficult to manuver themselves through the crowd. They decided to check the restrooms first and after several minutes, they finally reached the door and pushed themselves inside. That's when they saw her hovering over one of the sinks.

"Haley, are you okay?" Brooke asked with her voice laced with concern.

"Hey, you guys!" Haley exclaimed while slurring her words confirming she was in fact drunk. The two girls noticed the mascara running down her cheeks and how red her face was. "What took you guys so long? I've been waiting in here for like five hours." She continued backing away from the sink while tripping over her heels in the process. Thankfully, Brooke and Peyton quickly steadied her. "Whoops! That steps a doozie." Haley said as she began to giggle almost uncontrollably.

"Come on, Hales, we're gonna get you home. Millie and Quinn are waiting at the table." Peyton said.

"Quinn. My sister, Quinn." Haley laughed sardonically. "You know, I don't think I like her very much." She said.

Brooke and Peyton looked at each other in mild amusement. Even though it definitely wasn't the time to prod for more information, they both selfishly wanted to take the open opportunity to pry for more. "Why's that, sweetie?" Brooke asked.

"She's a thief!" Haley exclaimed causing the two girls to stiffle out a laugh. "I'm serious. She's taking everything of mine. She took my dad...well, the man who should have been my dad. And she's trying to take my friends. You guys are my friends not hers." She pouted.

"Oh, sweetie, she's not taking us from you." Brooke said.

"Yeah, girly, we'll always be your friends and not he..." Peyton began but was interrupted by Haley.

"And she's taking Nathan." She said sadly as the other girls looked over to her sympathetically. "He's mine. He's my best friend not hers. I had him first. And he was my first for like everything. He was my first friend. He was my first kiss. He was my first hero. He was the first person I ever sang to and shared my passion for music and writing with. He was the first person I told all of my secrets to. He was my first time..."

Brooke and Peyton's ears perked up for that one and shot one another a look.

"...and he was the first boy I ever loved. And now she's taking him from me. It's not fair. She doesn't get this part of me. I gladly give her my dad but not Nathan. He's mine." Haley finished.

Just as they were about to reach the bathroom door, Haley stopped moving. "Hang on, I don't feel so well." She said while heading to the nearest stall. Once she was inside, Peyton and Brooke looked at one another. "We need to get her home." Brooke said stating the obvious.

"Well, we can't drive. We may not be super drunk or anything, but we have been drinking quite a bit. None of us are in any position to drive. Let's call Julian." Peyton suggested.

"Good plan, genius. Do you have his phone number, because I don't." Brooke said.

"No." Peyton said before moving over to the stall. "Hales, sweetie, can we see your phone?" She asked.

"I flushed it down the toilet." Haley answered catching the girls completely off gaurd.

"Why'd you do that, honey?" Brooke asked.

"So Quinn couldn't use it without my permission anymore." Haley said simply causing them to laugh.

"Let's just call Nathan." Brooke said.

"Is that really such a good idea considering?" Peyton questioned skeptical.

"She needs to get home, Pey." Brooke said as Peyton agreed and reluctantly dialed his number.

After ending the phone call with Nathan and Haley was done throwing up, Peyton and Brooke dragged Haley with much difficulty back to their table where Quinn and Millie were still sitting. "Is she okay?" Millie asked concerned.

"She's fine. She just drank a bit too much, and she'll be better once she sleeps it off." Peyton answers.

Not even a minute flew by when they saw Nathan approaching their table. He looked exhausted which means he was either sleeping or coming off of a double shift at work. "Nathan! What a surprise? What are you doing here?" Quinn asked perkily causing Brooke, Peyton, and Millie to roll their eyes.

"Hey." Nathan said quickly and distantly. "Is she okay?" He asked concerned immediately going over to Haley.

"Oh, she's fine. Just drinking too much." Quinn said trying to brush his concern away.

"We've all been drinking, but she needs to get home. Sorry to call you, but we didn't have Julian's number." Peyton said trying her best not to strangle Quinn. She was definitely seeing a different side to her than they all saw earlier in the night. And she definitely wasn't caring for this side.

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you called. I'll take care of her." He said moving to wrap his arms around Haley's waist.

"I guess this means you're going to have to drive me home, too. I've been drinking, and we are going to the same place." Quinn added jumping up from the table while grabbing her purse.

Peyton and Brooke silently praised Nathan as he seemed to just completely ignore Quinn's presence as he continued devoting his full attention towards Haley. He picked her up bridal style as she wrapped her hands tightly around his neck. "Thanks for calling me, you guys. Don't worry about her. I'll get her home safely." He said as he carried her out of the club with Quinn closely following behind him.

"So, what do you guys think of Quinn?" Millie asked as the three remaining girls resumed their seats at the booth.

"There's something about her I don't like or trust." Brooke answered honestly.

"I agree." Peyton added.

"Yeah, thanks for leaving me here all alone with her. All she talked about was Nathan and how hot he was. I seriously wanted to puke at all of the sexual innuendos she was throwing out as well." Millie said.

"Sorry, Mill." Peyton apologized sympathetically as Brooke nodded her head in agreement.

"I think we should talk about what was said in that bathroom." Brooke said.

"What happened?" Millie asked with her interest piqued.

"Well, let's just say that drunk Haley likes to reveal some pretty personal information." Brooke said slyly.

"Oh, yeah. There's definitely more to the 'Naley', as Brooke likes to call it, story than either one of them is letting on." Peyton said.

"And we are going to get to the bottom or it...when Quinn's gone. We don't need her here with us inserting herself into where she doesn't belong. Agreed?" Brooke said.

"Agree." Both Millie and Peyton said.

"Okay, girls, operation Naley is on." Brooke announced as the three girls clinked their glasses together.

**There you go! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, and I shouldn't (not making any promises) take so long to get another update out there for you guys. But I will promise not to abandon this story. And I know there wasn't a lot of Naley, but I promise you it's coming in the next few chapters. This is a Naley story afterall. LOL! :) Anyway, until next time.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, everyone. I'm sorry this isn't a chapter update, but this is an update for what's been going on. I am so sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time. Since the last time I updated, I have had two deaths in my life-a family member and a close friend of mine. And to be honest, writing and stuff like that has been the last thing on my mind. I'm not writing this to make excuses. Really, I'm not. I just want to apologize for not updating as regularly as I have done in the past.**

**I honestly have no idea when I'm going to be updating again. Even though I have moved forward with all of my emotions and things like that surrounding the deaths, I still have so much catching up to do in terms of my personal life such as work and things like that. Again, I am NOT giving up on this story. I am still passionate about writing it and finishing it. ****I just don't know when that will be-it could be tomorrow, in a month...I don't know. I just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't given up on this story. I am still deeply invested in it.**

**Again, I'm sorry. I do want to thank everyone for reviewing and all of the story alerts I have received. And thank you to naley12 for sending me a PM. I do greatly appreciate it! And I'm hoping I do have time to actually sit down and write once again. So, please don't give up on this story. It's not over yet.**

**Thanks! And again, I'm sorry. :)**


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